Nocturne in B-flat Minor, Op. 9, No. 1 (transcribed by William Faulkes)

Frédéric François Chopin (1810 – 1849), born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin, was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic era, who wrote primarily for the solo piano. He gained and has maintained renown worldwide as one of the leading musicians of his era, whose "poetic genius was based on a professional technique that was without equal in his generation." A child prodigy, he completed his musical education and composed many of his works in Warsaw before leaving Poland, aged 20, less than a month before the outbreak of the November 1830 Uprising. At the age of 21 he settled in Paris. Thereafter, during the last 18 years of his life, he gave only some 30 public performances, preferring the more intimate atmosphere of the salon. He supported himself by selling his compositions and teaching piano, for which he was in high demand. Chopin formed a friendship with Franz Liszt and was admired by many of his musical contemporaries, including Robert Schumann. Through most of his life, Chopin suffered from poor health. He died in Paris in 1849, probably of tuberculosis.

This impeccable transcription was done by William Faulkes (1863-1933), composer,
organist, pianist, arranger, recitalist, teacher, chamber musician, conductor, musical organizer. Remarkably, for a composer so fluent and prolific, Faulkes was consistently omitted from the major dictionaries of music. From time to time, he is found in smaller more specific dictionaries at times, and is sometimes described as a leader of the modern English school of organ playing; or a leading composer of the English romantic school of organ playing.

There are some brief notes about the work in the First Comment.

The transcription is found in "The Silver Album" (p. 80), published by Schott in 1910, is attached below.

Also attached is are two photos of Chopin - the "famous one from 1849, plus a very rare one. A lithograph of the dedicatee, Marie Pleyel, and the transcriber, William Faulkes are also included.