Nocturnes, Op. 32 (Chopin)

The piece is 65 measures long and, unusually, ends in the tonic minor key, B minor, although some editions (such as those by Rafael Joseffy[3] as well as Chopin's student Carl Mikuli[4]) and performances (such as that by Arthur Rubinstein[5]) end with a B major chord, which has the effect of a Picardy third in the context of the minor-mode coda.

"[7] Jim Samson states that "The interruption of the song by this startling passage of instrumental recitative submits to no formal logic, but rather brings directly into the foreground Chopin's desire to make the music 'speak'.

This initial transition is performed over a C dominant seventh chord, which is not totally foreign to A♭ and yet pushes strongly away towards the F minor B section.

James Huneker found the F-minor section to "[broaden] out to dramatic reaches" though he still viewed the overall piece negatively.

[2] The repetition of the beginning has been "infected by the agitated atmosphere of the nocturne's center," and causes "the reprise some time to recapture the gentleness that is its rightful tone," according to Johnson.

[2] Friskin found that "the middle section offers good practice in the maintenance of a melodic line in the outer fingers while playing supporting chords in the same hand.