Louis Spohr

Nocturne op. 34

Louis Spohr (1784-1859) wrote NOCTURNE for Wind Instruments (NOTTURNO), Op. 34, in 1815. While the restful quality associated today with such "night pieces" did not really become standard until the publication of the nocturnes for piano by John Field, the instrumentation in Spohr's work was also a departure from the lighter ensembles that Mozart used in his serenades and divertimenti. Employing piccolos, trumpets, bass trombone, bass horn, posthorn, and percussion, this nocturne took on the rather noisy characteristics of the Turkish band music, which was so popular in Vienna at the time. Among those more brash sections, however, are interspersed quieter, slower movements, with movement 3 (Andante con Variozioni) serving as a centerpiece of the work. NOCTURNE likely premiered in 1816 in Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. Movements: I. Marcia; II. Menuetto; III. Andante con Variazioni; IV. Polacca; V. Adagio; VI. Finale. Instrumentation: 2Picc(1st dFl).2.2.2+CBsn: 2+Posthn in F.2.1.1: Perc(3).