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Nocturnes

and the Fascination of Night Music

Susan Tomes

$41.95

Hardback

Forthcoming
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English
Yale University Press
24 March 2026
An engrossing history of the music of twilight and sleep, from the nocturnes of Field and Chopin to Max Richter

In an insomniac age, ambient and sleep music have become increasingly popular. But our association between music and sleep is not new: lullabies may be the oldest form of music, and are instantly recognisable across peoples and cultures. Why does the night hold such musical fascination for us, and what forms do its sounds take?

Susan Tomes explores the story of the nocturne, and the music of nighttime in the classical tradition. From John Field's pioneering, lyrical nocturnes composed in the haunting atmosphere of St Petersburg's midnight sun, to Chopin's emotionally complex mastery of the form, composers and musicians have endlessly produced music about the night, in which the piano plays a central part. Tomes offers us a rich cultural history of this expressive, often melancholic, fascinating genre—which has gone on to inspire not just musicians but generations of artists and writers.
By:  
Imprint:   Yale University Press
Country of Publication:   United States
Dimensions:   Height: 216mm,  Width: 133mm, 
ISBN:   9780300278897
ISBN 10:   0300278896
Pages:   368
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming

Susan Tomes is an award-winning pianist and writer, renowned as a soloist and chamber musician. She is the author of numerous highly acclaimed books, including The Piano and Women and the Piano.

Reviews for Nocturnes: and the Fascination of Night Music

“An enchanting, original voyage through musical history via the nocturne; miniature in form, but presaging two centuries of art and thought about night, sleep and dreams. Ingenious, and engaging.”—Dame Judith Weir, former Master of the King’s Music “‘Nocturnes are like the prefiguring of a dream . . . we feel we are in an enchanted place’—so says the author, magically leading us there in this wonderfully illuminating survey.”—Sir John Rutter, composer and conductor “From John Field's curtain-free windows in the St Petersburg twilight to Lowell Liebermann's urban dreams in contemporary America, Susan Tomes takes us on a fascinating, fantastical journey of nocturnal enchantment at the piano, and beyond.”—Sir Stephen Hough, pianist and author of Enough “Susan Tomes takes us on a fascinating journey into the night. Beautifully written, full of intriguing facts and attractively poetic descriptions, this unusual book is sure to be of interest to musicians and music-lovers alike.”—Steven Isserlis, cellist and author of The Bach Cello Suites


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