Nocturnes: Music for 2 Pianos

For some, the night brings respite and refuge; for others, it’s a period of deep unease and uncertainty. It’s why the nocturne is one of music’s more powerful genres—and the perfect canvas for the emotionally complex music of Chopin. Craig Armstrong’s multilayered music for two pianos, composed entirely after nightfall, follows in the Polish composer’s footsteps. It is, by turns, warm, introspective, melancholy, and comforting. “Nocturne 1” radiates serenity like a calm sea lapping at the shore, while chords in “Nocturne 5” combine and clash as if two ominous bells. “Nocturne 7\" hangs in the air, a fleeting dream, “Nocturne 9” evokes a restless mind, and from “Nocturne 11,” Armstrong brings peace, his final chapter allowing the sun to glimmer through the window.

Pianist Craig Armstrong has been around for some years, with his reputation spreading beyond his native Scotland and into crossover piano territory.