Nocturne no. 4 in E flat major, op. 36
Romantic Nocturne Piano solo ~4 min
In brief

This Nocturne unfolds a contemplative, lyrical mood, suspended between restrained melancholy and brief moments of discreet brilliance where the line lengthens like a prolonged breath. Technically it requires precise Legato (4.4/5) — here the movement means connecting notes with finger control and arm weight to avoid breaks between voices — and a Singing Voice (Voix chantante, 4.4/5) that forces the melodic line to project while balancing the harmonic accompaniment with nuanced touch. Placed in Fauré's romantic piano output, this nocturne exemplifies his focus on color and subtle expression rather than flashy virtuosity.

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MusicCoach difficulty
55/100
Intermediate
Likely range : 49–61/100
Confidence : 55% · fair confidence
BeginnerIntermediateAdvancedVirtuoso
Exam grade
On the syllabus: Grade 6 Trinity_London

Official level, taken from the exam syllabus.

Difficulty estimate by MusicCoach on a scale of 1 to 100.

Where this work sits
050100

Most works cluster between 45 and 65: a small score gap often marks a real step. The highlighted bar shows this work among those for the same instrument.

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Difficulty sources
Combined exam syllabi
Grade 6
55/100 normalised
Relative difficulty
20%
Among Gabriel Fauré
44%
Era Romantic
28%
Genre
Estimated skills
Pedaling
Sustain pedal
1
Interpretation
Singing voice
1
Ornaments
Romantic ornaments
1
Technique
Legato
2
Interpretation
Phrasing
2
Interpretation
Dynamics
2
Style
Romantic style
1
Rhythm
Tempo rubato
1
What to play next?

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