the name given to various types of musical works. In the 18th and early 19th centuries the nocturne was a divertissement, a composition in several movements similar to the cassation and instrumental serenade. It was written mainly for wind or for wind and string instruments and was usually performed outdoors in the evening or at night, for example, the nocturnes of Mozart and Haydn. J. Field established the nocturne as a short melodious and lyrical piano piece of a dreamy or melancholy nature. Chopin’s 21 piano nocturnes, noted for their depth and richness, represent the fullest development of the genre. R. Schumann, J. Hummel, C. Debussy, M. Reger, and P. Hindemith also wrote nocturnes. In Russian music, outstanding examples include M. I. Glinka’s nocturnes for harp, piano, and voice and piano; A. P. Borodin’s nocturne in the String Quartet No. 2; and A. N. Scriabin’s nocturnes.