Hyperion Records

The Nocturne in E minor, Op 72 No 1 was published six years after Chopin’s death and it is still not clear when it was written. Some experts believe it to be among the earliest of his compositions, perhaps dating from 1827. Others believe it to date from the last years of his life (substantiated by Liszt’s claim that the last of his Nocturnes was still in manuscript at the time of his death). The autograph has been lost. The form could certainly be that of an early work, but somehow the melodic material, rather than merely being slightly melancholic, seems to utter a haunting farewell.

from notes by Angela Hewitt © 2004