A Study on the Technical Treatment and Musical Expression of "Singing Performance" in Chopin's Nocturnes

Abstract

Fric Chopin's Nocturnes are a high point in Romantic piano literature, known for their profound emotional content and
melodic, singing melodies. The main challenge and artistic goal of performing this is to achieve a singing performance, also known as
cantabile, changing the piano from a percussion instrument into something more fluid and melodic in the same vein as the human voice.
This paper thoroughly explores all of the most essential technical treatment and directly relates it to the musical expression of achieving this kind of singing quality. It systematically explores 4 important areas of piano techniques. First is the art of rubato and rhythmic
flexibility, second is the art of dynamics and tonal color, third is the art of playing phrasing and legato pedaling, and last is the expressive power of ornamentation. From a detailed analysis, this article argues that these techniques are not something mechanical, but is
a deeply integrated part of a whole artistic approach. They work in unison to copy the subtleties of a singer's control of their breath,
the way they inflect their voice, and their vocal ornamentation. paper also shows how these concepts are used through certain musical
examples and provides two analytical tables to show the density of expressive markings present. Ultimately, this research shows that a
truly successful interpretation of Chopin's Nocturnes requires the pianist to be able to combine all these elements into one seamless but
personal story with the instrument being able to "speak." This research paper hopes to help performers, teachers, and musicologists gain
insight into the Chopinesque sound.