Chopin's Nocturnes are some of his most cherished and beloved works, here is a deep dive into the rich history of my personal selection of his best Nocturnes. You can watch/listen to all 11 Nocturnes with accompanying AI story art in the video above. The music was performed by Artem Tenkeli and will be available on Spotify May 8th, 2023.
Nocturne in C♯ minor, Op. Posth., B. 108 (1870)
It was composed between 1830 and 1834, but it was not published until 1870 after his death in 1849. It was one of several works that his friend and publisher, Julian Fontana, compiled and published posthumously as Op. posth.
It is also referred to as Nocturne No. 20, Lento con gran espressione, KK IVa No. 16, or the “Reminiscence” Nocturne.
It was one of the first Nocturnes he wrote, but was one of three that were not published during his lifetime.
The song was dedicated to his sister, Ludwika Chopin. The dedication reads “To my sister Ludwika as an exercise before beginning the study of my second Concerto”. Chopin had a close relationship with his sister Ludwika, who was also a pianist and a singer. The dedication to Ludwika is a testament to the importance of their relationship and highlights the personal significance of the composition.
Composition
It has a simple A-B-A form, with the first and third sections featuring the same melody but with slight variations while the middle section offers a contrasting melody and a more dramatic and intense mood.
Influences
Chopin was influenced by the works of earlier composers such as John Field, who invented the genre of the Nocturne.
The Italian opera composer Vincenzo Bellini was also influential, whose vocal melodies and expressive style are evident in Chopin's music.
It also shows the influence of the Polish folk music that Chopin grew up with, particularly in its use of modal harmonies and ornamentation.
Legends
According to one legend, Chopin was inspired to write the Nocturne after hearing an Italian singer performing a beautiful melody in a cafe.
Another story was that Natalia Karp, a Holocaust survivor, played the piece for Nazi concentration camp commandant Amon Goeth. Goeth was so impressed with her rendition that he spared Karp's life.
Some scholars believe that the Nocturne in C♯ minor reflects Chopin's personal life and emotions. Chopin was known to be a very private person and rarely spoke about his innermost feelings, but it is possible that the melancholic and introspective character of the Nocturne may have been a reflection of his own struggles and hardships. Chopin was deeply attached to his native Poland and was deeply affected by the political crisis that the country was facing in the early 1830s. Some have suggested that the piece may have been a response to the political turmoil and a reflection of Chopin's feelings of sadness and despair over the situation. He was deeply connected to his Polish roots and felt a strong sense of national identity as well as politically active in supporting the Polish cause for independence during his lifetime.
Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9, No. 2 (1832)
It was composed in 1830 at the age of 20.
It was published in 1832 and is one of his most famous and beloved works, and it helped to establish his reputation as a composer.
The piece is dedicated to Marie Pleyel, the wife of Camille Pleyel, who was the owner of the Pleyel piano company. Marie was a talented amateur pianist who often performed Chopin's music in her salon, and he dedicated several of his works to her. Chopin had a close relationship with the Pleyels, and he often performed on their pianos. The dedication was a way for Chopin to express his gratitude and appreciation for their support.
The Nocturne is often associated with the salon culture of the 19th century. During this time, wealthy patrons would host intimate concerts in their homes, and Chopin was a popular performer in these settings.
Composition
It has a distinctive melody that is instantly recognizable. It begins with a slow and expressive melody played in the right hand, while the left hand provides a gentle accompaniment."
The piece is in ternary form, which means it has three distinct sections. An A section, a contrasting middle B section and a return to the A section.
Influences
Chopin was inspired to write this Nocturne by the beauty of the night sky. He once said, “I'm working on a Nocturne that I hope will be better than any that I've written. It's a kind of reverie in the moonlight on a beautiful spring evening.”
Chopin himself reportedly said that the Nocturne in E♭major was one of his favorite compositions. He often played it at concerts and recitals, and it became one of his most popular works during his lifetime.
The Nocturne is often cited as an example of Chopin's unique blend of Polish and French musical styles. Chopin grew up in Poland and was deeply influenced by the folk music of his homeland, but he also studied and performed extensively in France, where he developed a more sophisticated and refined style of composition. This Nocturne is seen as a perfect example of this fusion of styles, with its simple, folk-like melody and elegant, virtuosic accompaniment.
Legends
Chopin was known for being very particular about how his music was performed and he often gave detailed instructions to his students and fellow musicians. One anecdote tells of Chopin listening to a student practice this Nocturne and interrupting her to correct a single note that he felt was played too loudly, supposedly saying, “Remember that this note must be played pianissimo. If you do not, the charm of the whole piece will be lost.”
Rachmaninoff was a great admirer of Chopin's music and often included his works in his own recitals. According to legend, he would sometimes play it as an encore, and audiences would be so moved by his performance that they would weep.
Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48, No. 1 (1842)
It was composed in 1841 and published in 1842.
It was dedicated to one of his favorite students, Laure Duperré, who was also a close friend of George Sand. George Sand and Chopin had a romantic relationship that lasted for nearly a decade. They remained close until Chopin's death from tuberculosis in 1849.
Chopin described this Nocturne as “an ode to misfortune” and said that he composed it during a particularly difficult time in his life. Some have suggested that the melancholy mood of the piece reflects Chopin's own inner turmoil. Franz Liszt wrote in a letter to a mutual acquaintance that Chopin described the Nocturne as “a reflection of his most intimate feelings, a kind of confession of his inmost soul, which he would not have dared to confess to anyone face to face.”
Chopin's letters to friends and family often reveal his preoccupation with the Nocturnes as a genre. He once wrote, “My Nocturnes take up all my time, I assure you. I am writing a third that is not yet finished, but which already pleases me.” He also commented, “Simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art.”
The piece was not well-received by some contemporary critics, who criticized it as a “thorough departure from the nocturne style.” However, it has since become known as one of Chopin's greatest emotional achievements.
The piece is known for its technical difficulty, particularly in the fast arpeggios in the final section. It is often regarded as one of Chopin's most challenging Nocturnes to play.
The Nocturne is one of Chopin's longest pieces in the genre, lasting around seven minutes in performance.
The piece is often cited as one of Chopin's most emotional and introspective works. According to George Sand, Chopin himself considered the piece to be one of his finest works. Sand wrote in a letter that Chopin “played it better than anything else he had ever composed and that he was “more proud of it than of anything else he had written.”
Composition
The opening melody of the piece is based on a Polish song called Święty Boże (Holy God) which Chopin heard his father singing when he was a child.
The middle section is marked by a sudden change to the major key, and is a tribute to Italian opera, which Chopin admired greatly. It contains a subtle reference to a musical motif from Mozart's Don Giovanni. It also serves as a kind of oasis from the stormy and turbulent opening section providing a moment of calm and introspection before the piece returns to its more dramatic and intense character in the coda.
The final section of the piece returns to the opening melody, but with a new sense of resolution and finality, which creates a sense of sadness and inevitability. This technique is typical of Chopin's style and is used in many of his other works.
Legends
According to some accounts, Chopin originally composed the Nocturne as a musical tribute to the poet and close friend Adam Mickiewicz. He had recently died, and Chopin was deeply affected by his passing.
Chopin reportedly played this Nocturne at his final public performance, which took place at London’s Guildhall in 1848. It was held in aid for the Polish refugees that had fled their in wake of the 1830-31 Polish–Russian War. He was severely suffering from tuberculosis at the time, yet his performance was described by many critics as brilliant. His performance was met with much applause, but Chopin had to leave the benefit early and collapsed in route to his home. He died just a year later of complications from tuberculosis.
Nocturne in B-flat minor, Op. 9, No. 1 (1832)
It was composed between 1830-1831, when he was in his early 20s.
The piece was published in 1832 as part of a collection of Nocturnes titled Trois Nocturnes pour le Piano (Three Nocturnes for Piano), which also included Nocturne in E♭ major and Nocturne in B major. It was published by the Paris-based music publisher, Maurice Schlesinger, around the same time as Chopin’s arrival in Paris. Schlesinger was a well-known publisher of classical music, and had published works from Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven. Chopin had already achieved some success as a composer in his native Poland, but the piece marked his first major publication in France.
The Nocturnes helped to establish Chopin as a leading composer of the Romantic era, particularly in the genre of the Nocturne, which he helped to popularize and develop.
The set of three Nocturnes were dedicated to Marie Pleyel.
Composition
The piece is in ternary form, meaning it has three sections: A-B-A. The A section is characterized by a lilting, melancholy melody that is played over a gently arpeggiated accompaniment. The B section features a more contrasting melody in the relative major key (D♭ major) which eventually gives way to a reprise of the A section and the major-mode Picardy third ending.
The piece is notated in 6/4 time, which means there are six quarter-note beats per measure. This time signature gives the piece a flowing, waltz-like feel."
The piece is also marked Larghetto, which indicates a tempo that is slow and broadly expressive. The performer is also instructed to use rubato, a technique in which the rhythm is slightly stretched or compressed in order to convey the emotion of the music. There is some debate among musicologists and performers about the proper interpretation of Chopin's rubato markings in the Nocturne. Some believe that Chopin's rubato should be used sparingly and with great subtlety, while others argue that a more pronounced and expressive use of rubato is necessary to fully convey the emotional depth of the music.
Legends
It was thought to have been inspired by Italian opera, particularly the bel canto style of Vincenzo Bellini. This influence can be heard in the long, flowing melodies and expressive, ornamented vocal lines that characterize the piece.
Chopin was known to have been inspired by the sounds of nature, and many of his works incorporate elements of the natural world. The piece's haunting melody and lilting rhythms are said to evoke the peaceful stillness of a moonlit night.
Chopin himself was often called upon to perform the Nocturne at social gatherings and salons. According to some accounts, his playing was so affecting that listeners would often become tearful from the emotion of the music.
Critiques
Robert Schumann, the German composer and music critic, was an early champion of Chopin's music. In a review he called it “cannons hidden among flowers,” praising its “richness of ideas” and “intense expression.”
Franz Liszt, the Hungarian composer and pianist, was a close friend of Chopin's, and the two men admired each other's work. He said it was “one of the most poetical of Chopin's creations, with a melody that sings itself into the depths of the heart.”
Johannes Brahms, the German composer, pianist, and conductor, was also a great admirer of Chopin's music. In a letter to a friend, he wrote “Chopin is the only composer who has found a way to reveal the secrets of the heart in music.”
Sergei Rachmaninoff, the Russian composer, pianist, and conductor, was another admirer of Chopin's music. He once said that it was “a piece that could make you cry,” and he praised his use of rubato as “subtle and gentle, but always with a profound meaning.”
Arthur Rubinstein, the Polish-American pianist, was one of the most famous interpreters of Chopin's music in the 20th century. He performed the piece often over the course of his career, and he described it as “the most perfect composition for piano solo ever written.”
Nocturne in D-flat major, Op. 27, No. 2 (1837)
It was composed in 1836 as part of a set of two Nocturnes, the other being Nocturne C♯ minor.
The piece is also sometimes referred to as the “Lento sostenuto” because of its slow, sustained tempo.
The final section of the piece is played softly and slowly, as if it is fading away. It creates a sense of calm and tranquility, as if the music is slowly drifting off into silence. It is a beautiful and understated ending that is typical of Chopin's style.
Critiques
The French composer Maurice Ravel once said, “In this Nocturne, Chopin achieves a poetry which is beyond human conception. It is truly celestial.”
The Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote in a letter to a friend, “What a tender, poetic, melancholy, and inexpressibly charming piece it is! One cannot tire of playing it or of listening to it.”
The French composer and pianist Claude Debussy, who was heavily influenced by Chopin's music, wrote in a letter: “Chopin's Nocturne in D-flat Major is one of those pieces that make me think there is something in the world that is unutterably beautiful.”
The German composer Robert Schumann, who was a champion of Chopin’s music, described the Nocturne as: “a soulful song, one of those that glide through the senses and give us infinite pleasure.”
Legends
According to some accounts, Chopin wrote the Nocturne for his student, the English pianist Jane Stirling, who was also his close friend and supporter. Stirling was said to be deeply moved by the piece, and she continued to play it throughout her life, sometimes introducing it as “my Nocturne.”
Another story suggests that Chopin wrote the Nocturne during a visit to the Wodziński family estate in 1836. Chopin and Maria Wodzińska were engaged to be married, but due to Chopin's poor health, her father objected and it was called off. Although there is no written proof of this account, their relationship ending in 1837 may have influenced the melancholy nature of the Nocturne.
Chopin himself described the piece as “a kind of ballade in blue,” emphasizing its melancholy and introspective character. In a letter to a friend he described it as “a kind of reverie, very flowery, of varied shades, sometimes cheerful, sometimes sad, like an elegant conversation between two people who understand each other perfectly who have the same tastes, but who sometimes misunderstand each other, and then immediately become reconciled.”
According to one story, Chopin once played the Nocturne at a private concert for the Russian Tsar Nicholas I. The Tsar, who was known for his gruff demeanor, was so moved by the performance that he wept openly and embraced Chopin at the end of the piece.
Nocturne in c minor, Op. Posth., B. 108 (1860)
Likely composed somewhere between 1837-1847, but it was not published during his lifetime.
It was first published posthumously in 1860 as part of a collection of 4 works that were submitted by Charlotte de Rothschild. More than 10 years after Chopin's death and was the last of the Nocturnes to be published. Charlotte had inherited some of his manuscripts after his death and published a new edition under J. Maho in Paris. She was a close friend of Chopin's family. The manuscript for the Nocturne is housed at the National Library of Poland in Warsaw. The manuscript is written in Chopin's own hand, and includes several corrections and revisions.
The piece is relatively short compared to some of Chopin's other works, with a typical performance lasting around 3-4 minutes.
The Nocturne was discovered after his death and was not actually given an opus number by Chopin, instead, it is sometimes referred to as B. 108, which is the catalog number assigned to it by musicologists Krystyna Kobylańska. Her numbering system assigns a unique number to each of Chopin's compositions and prefixes it with the letter B. This stands for Brown, in reference to Maurice J.E. Brown, another Chopin scholar who published a comprehensive catalog of Chopin's works in 1960.
Legends
Chopin may have chosen not to publish this piece during his lifetime because he was known to be highly critical of his own work and would often revise and refine his compositions extensively before he deemed them ready for publication.
Another theory is that he may have intended it to be part of a larger collection of nocturnes that he never got around to finalizing. According to some accounts, he was working on as many as 27 nocturnes at the time of his death.
Nocturne in B major, Op. 32, No. 1 (1837)
It was composed and published in 1837 as part of a set of two Nocturnes, the other being Nocturne in A♭major.
The two Nocturnes were dedicated to Madame la Baronne de Billing, who was a baroness born of Courbonne, France. Not much is known about who she was, but some have suggested it was a pseudonym for Baroness Charlotte de Rothschild. Chopin provided piano lessons to Charlotte, who was already an accomplished pianist in her own right. The Rothschild family were very wealthy and at the center of Parisian culture. They were also big supporters of the arts and Chopin.
Chopin's health was in decline during this period, and he suffered from a number of physical and emotional ailments. However he still spent much of 1837 working on the Nocturne in B major, as well as several other pieces, including the Polonaise in F-sharp minor, Op. 44, and the Sonata in B-flat minor, Op. 35.
Legends
The Nocturne may have been written during his stay in Nohant with his lover, Aurore Dupin, better known by her pen name, George Sand. Chopin was staying at George Sand's country home in Nohant during the summer of 1836. One story goes that Chopin was inspired to write the Nocturne while sitting in her garden, listening to the sound of a nearby stream. Supposedly he wrote down the opening melody on a piece of paper and then continued to develop the piece over the course of several weeks.
Another account describes how Chopin would play the piece for George Sand as he worked on it, seeking her feedback and input on the music. Despite their close collaboration on artistic matters, Chopin and George Sand's relationship was often fraught with tension and disagreement.
It is also said that Chopin once played the Nocturne for his friend Franz Liszt, who was impressed by the piece and remarked that “such music should be engraved in burnished letters of gold.”
The opening melody is said to have been inspired by a song Chopin heard sung by a Venetian gondolier during one of his trips to Italy. Chopin was known to have been greatly inspired by the music and culture of Italy, as evidenced by his letters and personal writings. It is important to note that none of these speculations are definitive, and that the true reasons for Chopin's inspirations are not fully known.
Composition
The piece is marked Andante sostenuto, which means “slow and sustained.”
The piece is in ternary form (A-B-A), with a slow and lyrical A section followed by a more agitated B section, and then a return to the A section.
The final chord of the Nocturne has been the subject of some debate among musicologists and performers. It is marked as a B minor chord in the original score, however the piece is written in B major and most of the harmonies are consistent with that key. Arthur Rubinstein commented, “In the Debussy edition of Chopin, which I like, the B major nocturne ends with a major chord. In Chopin one shouldn’t discuss such things. Chopin changed his works constantly. I play the major chord because the minor chord weakens the ending: it weakens the whole theme.”
Nocturne in E minor, Op. 72, No. 1 (1855)
It was composed around 1826 when he was about 16, but was not published until 1855 posthumously. It was published by Julian Fontana, a Polish pianist and friend of Chopin's. Fontana organized and edited the unpublished Nocturne and assigned it Opus number 72.
Of the three posthumous Nocturnes, this one might have been the first Nocturne he wrote. However, the final result did not satisfy him which may be why he chose not to publish it during his lifetime.
In a letter to his friend Tytus Woyciechowski, an early friend of Chopin’s, he wrote: “One must not force composition, everything must come spontaneously from the soul, then it is only true and beautiful.” In another letter he wrote, “Music should express something that cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.”
Composition
The piece has a tempo marked as Andante and is written in ABAB form with a coda that leads to a quiet conclusion. The A section is written in E minor & B major while the B section is written in E minor & E major.
Critiques
Casimir Wierzyknski, a Polish poet and journalist, wrote in his book titled: The Life and Death of Chopin, “Up to the time of Chopin's Nocturnes, this form had been the exclusive domain of John Field, an Irish-born composer. Chopin broke with the simple and graceful character of Field's Nocturnes, giving them instead a passionate, melancholy character that was entirely his own. The last one in E minor did not satisfy Chopin, and was not published until after his death.”
Franz Liszt said of Chopin’s Nocturnes: “We have seen the shy, serenely tender emotions which Field charged them to interpret, supplanted by strange and foreign effects. Only one genius possessed himself of this style, lending to it all the movement and ardour of which it was susceptible. Chopin, in his poetic Nocturnes, sang not only the harmonies which are the source of our most ineffable delights, but likewise the restless, agitating bewilderment to which they often give rise.”
Robert Schumann commented, “Chopin's Nocturnes are a revelation in music. They do not bear the character of a nocturne in the sense of the word. Instead, they are poems that dissolve into mist, into a nebulous night-world.” Schumann often spoke highly of Chopin’s music, once famously saying “Hats off, gentlemen, a genius”. Chopin never reciprocated as he did not care for Schumann’s music.
Nocturne in G minor, Op. 37, No. 1 (1840)
It was composed in 1838, and it was published as a set of two Nocturnes in 1840.
This piece along with Nocturne in G Major, were one of the few Nocturnes without a dedication.
The Nocturne was composed during the time Chopin and George Sand stayed on the island of Mallorca in the winter of 1838-1839. They had traveled to the island in search of a warmer climate that would be beneficial to Chopin's health, as he was suffering from tuberculosis, but they found themselves facing a series of difficulties and hardships. The couple settled in a monastery in the small town of Valldemossa, however, the accommodations were cramped and uncomfortable. They also had to deal with frequent rain and cold temperatures, which made it difficult for Chopin to find relief for his illness. Despite these challenges, Chopin was able to compose the Nocturne as well as the famous “Raindrop” Prelude in D-flat major. The couple eventually left Mallorca in February of 1839 and returned to Paris, where Chopin's health continued to decline. He became increasingly more dependent on George Sand for care and support and his output became more sporadic and his health problems more severe.
Composition
This piece has a tempo marked andante sostenuto and is written in ternary form.
The A section is in G minor and the B section is a chorale-like section written in E♭major before returning back to the A section.
Critiques
When the Nocturne was finally published in 1840 it was received with great critical acclaim. Reviewers praised the piece for its “melodic richness, lyricism and expressive depth.”
Composer Robert Schumann stated it was “of that nobler kind under which poetic ideality gleams more transparently.” He also said, “two nocturnes differ from his earlier ones chiefly through greater simplicity of decoration and more quiet grace.”
Composer Maurycy Karasowski commented about the middle section having “a church-like atmosphere in chords,” and also commented that “some biographers have felt that this music represented Chopin's faith in the consoling power of religion.” However, Chopin's personal relationship with religion is somewhat unclear, and there is no evidence to suggest that he was particularly religious. He did not typically draw on religious themes or motifs in his music, despite being raised Roman Catholic. Instead, his works were more focused on exploring the emotional and expressive possibilities of the piano, as well as the technical and expressive capabilities of the performer.
Nocturne in F major, Op. 15, No. 1 (1833)
It was composed in 1832 and published in 1833 as a set of three Nocturnes.
All three pieces were dedicated to Ferdinand Hiller, a German composer and conductor who was a friend of Chopin. Hiller and Chopin met in Paris between 1828 and 1835, where they became close friends. Chopin wrote in a letter to a friend saying: “Hiller is an immensely talented fellow, a former pupil of Hummel, whose concerto and Symphony produced a great effect three days ago. He’s on the same lines as Beethoven, but a man full of poetry, fire, and spirit.”
Chopin wrote the Nocturne in his early years of living in Paris when he was 22, shortly after moving there around 1831. He was a young and relatively unknown composer at the time, but quickly established himself in the Parisian musical scene. He quickly became a sought-after performer in private salons and intimate settings, which he preferred over public concerts. Chopin's delicate and introspective style of playing was better suited to smaller, more intimate venues.
Composition
The piece is written in ternary form, with the A section featuring the main melody and the B section with a fast and dramatic accompaniment.
The piece is in 3/4 time and the beginning tempo is marked andante cantabile (Flowing and songlike). The left hand is played sempre legato (Always smoothly) and the right hand is played semplice e tranquillo (Simple and calm). The B section is marked with a tempo con fuoco (With fire), meaning that it should be a little faster than it otherwise would be. Chopin was known for his extensive use of musical markings, such as tempo indications, dynamic markings, articulations etc."
Critiques
Musicologist Charles Rosen wrote that it “provides a powerful contrast to the A section, with its more declamatory and dramatic character, one of the most dramatic moments in Chopin's nocturnes.”
"Hugo Leichtentritt, a German musicologist and composer wrote: “Chopin juxtaposed an idyll of sounds, bright, delicate and pleasant, illumined by the sun, with a tempest that erupts suddenly with violence and brute force”.
Nocturne in F minor, Op. 55, No. 1 (1844)
It was composed between 1842-1843 and was published as part of a set of two nocturnes in 1844.
They were dedicated to Chopin’s pupil and admirer Mademoiselle Jane W. Stirling. She was a Scottish noblewoman who was a patron and a close friend of Chopin's.
The two Nocturnes were among only a few pieces Chopin composed around 1843 as his health was still rapidly declining. Charles Hallé, an Anglo-German pianist and conductor, visited Chopin and found him, “hardly able to move, bent like a half-opened penknife and evidently in great pain”, although it has been said that his spirits would return when he would play the piano for his visitors. During this time Franz Liszt was known to perform Chopin’s works adding numerous embellishments, to Chopin's annoyance. After performing one of his nocturnes Chopin remarked that, “he should play the music as written or not play it at all”. In a letter he wrote to his friend and composer Ferdinand Hiller he remarked: "I should like to rob him of the way he plays my studies.” Despite the feud, Chopin still referred to him as “my friend Liszt", although the incident created a rift between them. Up until 1841 they had performed together on several occasions and Chopin dedicated the entire Études Op. 10 set to him. After Chopin’s first public concert in Paris on February 26, 1832 at the Salle Pleyel, which Liszt had attended, he said: “The most vigorous applause seemed not to suffice to our enthusiasm in the presence of this talented musician, who revealed a new phase of poetic sentiment combined with such happy innovation in the form of his art.”
Composition
The piece is written in ternary form with a time signature of 4/4 or common time.
The A section is marked Andante (Moderately slow) and the B section is marked Più mosso (quickly) and is more agitated and dramatic.
Conclusion
Chopin's legacy is marked by his enduring influence on music, writing 21 Nocturnes that not only popularized the genre, but helped shape it as well. Remembered as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era, whose works for the piano captured the beauty and emotional depth of music, forever leaving an indelible mark on the music world and influencing generations of composers to come. You can listen to The Very Best Chopin Nocturnes while you learn about the history of each piece on my YouTube channel, Classical Oasis.
Note: I sourced the basis of the information using ChatGPT 3.5, and because it can wildly exaggerate and provide inaccurate information I have also fact checked the information using Wikipedia and several other sources. Please leave a comment if there is any information that is factually incorrect (excluding the speculations in the legend sections).