Composed when Chopin was only 20 years old, this Nocturne was dedicated to his older sister and was first published more than 20 years after his death. Nocturnes are musical compositions inspired by the night, with beautiful and emotional song-like melodies and with some hint of melancholy.
When listening to this piece, there is a sense of softness and calmness but also mystery and pain. And the alterations between sadness and joy give the listener the impression that there is hope returning again and again. Behind this piece, there are some real-life stories taking place during World War II that reveal its strength to captivate the listener and in some cases even to save lives. As shown in Roman Polanski's 2002 movie "The Pianist", based on a true story, this Nocturne was performed by the renowned pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman during a live broadcast of Polish radio in 1939, while Warsaw was being bombarded by the German army. The pianist continued playing this piece as bombs fell and buildings were crumbled. Later, this Nocturne saved his life when he played it for a German officer, who was so moved that he spared the pianist's life. Similarly, in the case of Natalia Karp, a survivor of the Holocaust, a German officer let her and her sister live, both imprisoned in a concentration camp in Poland, when he listened to her performance of this piece. Inspired by these stories, we would suggest the title "Sounds of hope".