(Ger.: ‘night music’).
The German form of the Italian term Notturno; the term was used in the late 18th century, mainly for works intended for performance at night (around 11 p.m.). Mozart often preferred this term to the Italian one, particularly for works of relatively simple scoring such as the Trio k266/271f and Eine kleine Nachtmusik k525. The latter originally had two minuets, thus corresponding to a common, earlier divertimento form (the first of the minuets is apparently lost). In letters to his father (3 November 1781, 27 July 1782) Mozart referred to the wind serenades k375 and 388/384a as ‘Nacht Musick’ and ‘Nacht Musique’. Romantic keyboard composers (Field, Chopin, Schumann) chose more literal translations of notturno, as Nocturne and Nachtstück; Mahler used the title ‘Nachtstück’ for two movements in his Seventh Symphony.
For bibliography see Notturno.
HUBERT UNVERRICHT/CLIFF EISEN