Abstract
According to Fryderyk Chopin's sister, Ludwika Jędrzejewicz, the Nocturne in C-sharp minor (Lento con gran espressione) was sent to her by her brother in an enclosure with a letter from Vienna in 1830. Chopin's letters from this time are full of lively and witty accounts of new musical experiences, but with an undercurrent of extreme homesickness. It would not be surprising, therefore, if his musical works of the time reflected something of this state of mind and it is argued in this essay that this work in particular might be read as a highly personal musical postscript to the letter it accompanied. As such, its informal and intimate nature might offer rare insights into Chopin as he behaved ‘at home’ among his family and friends, and also reveal something of his style of improvisation.
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