A nocturne is a short gentle piece of music, often one written to be played on the piano. a piece of music, especially a soft beautiful piece of piano music (nocturnus; NOCTURNAL). Nineteenth-century character piece for piano. The name was first used 1812 by the Scottish composer John Field (1782-1837) for works employing a lyrical melody over an accompaniment of broken chords. Frédéric Chopin's romantic nocturnes, similar in style, are the most celebrated
(French, meaning 'of the night') A short composition, generally with three sections, often slightly melancholic in mood The first nocturnes were written for piano by John Field in the early 19th-century
The name is now used for a certain graceful and expressive form of instrumental composition, as the nocturne for orchestra in Mendelsohn's "Midsummer-Night's Dream"