Coming Soon: World Premiere Recording of “Nocturne No. 2 – Stars Over the Sleeping City”
A powerful new piano work by Palestinian composer Mahmoud Abuwarda is set to receive its world premiere recording by Italian pianist Alberto Nones. Titled Nocturne No. 2 – Stars Over the Sleeping City, the piece will be released on May 30 across all digital platforms.
Recorded on a Fazioli F278 grand piano at LukeRecordingStudio in Cividale del Friuli, this composition captures a fleeting moment of peace — the last quiet night before a world changes. Inspired by the final tranquil evening in Gaza before the onset of conflict, the nocturne weaves delicate melodies and wistful harmonies that reflect both serenity and a deep undercurrent of tension.
The music opens gently, evoking starlight over sleeping rooftops, and gradually builds into a bittersweet landscape of sound — one that sings of longing, memory, and the fragile stillness that precedes change. It is not a piece about war, but about the silence before it: a meditation on beauty in the shadow of uncertainty.
This marks the first recording of Abuwarda’s Nocturne No. 2, performed by Alberto Nones, renowned for his interpretation of Chopin and his ongoing commitment to contemporary music. Nones brings emotional depth and poetic nuance to the work, offering a sensitive and resonant interpretation of this moving score.
Leading up to the release, short video previews featuring excerpts from the piece and exclusive footage from Gaza will be shared on Instagram by the composer @mahmoudabuwarda and the pianist @nones.notes.
Stay tuned for the official release on May 30, and witness the premiere of a nocturne that captures the stillness of night — and the quiet strength within it.