A Collage-Like Work of Music. Aspects of Variation Technique in Maria Szymanowska’s Nocturne in B-flat Major

The article aims to examine the ways in which selected variation techniques are used in Maria Szymanowska’s Nocturne in B-flat Major. The author discusses both conventional thematic modifications and collage-like transformations of brief motifs. By comparing the composition to selected works of John Field and placing it within appropriate historical contexts, the author seeks to illustrate how such an approach to variation not only enriches the conventional form of the nocturne as a genre, but also highlights the possibility of programmatic intent being present.