Chopin's Nocturne in D Flat Major Op. 67, No, 2 is marked Lento Sostenuto and is in 6/8 meter. The movement begins with a bass voice that uses a continuous arpeggiated sixteenth note left hand pattern to keep the pulse. This sixteenth note pulse is continuous throughout the entire piece (except for the final cadence at the end of the movement) and is non-motivic, providing stability to the melody in the treble voice. Though it is non-motivic it has special importance to the piece in that it is used to solidify the main key of the piece (D Flat Major) by arpeggiating the notes in the tonic triad (in the first four measures). Throughout the piece the sixteenth note pattern is then used to outline different chords and move throughout different tonalities as the piece modulates. …show more content…
The first theme (A) begins piano in measure 2 and continues for an extended period ending in measure 9. The chords in m. 1-4 of this theme are clearly in D flat major as they outline the notes in the tonic triad (D-flat-F-A-flat). The sixteenth note pattern (as it will throughout the movement), then begins to evolve the piece (this time by moving to an A diminished seventh chord) and then continuing from m. 5 onwards, changing between different tonalities. This (A) theme is stated twice more within the piece. The second time the theme is stated is in m. 26 through m. 32. The theme comes in quieter this time (pianissimo) and ends leggierissimo (m. 32) using 12 thirty-second notes. The (A) theme repeats for the last time in m. 46-m.