Are nocturne and moonlight sonata the same thing?
No. Moonlight Sonata is a sonata by Beethoven (Opus 27 #2) in three movements. The first movement is the most well-known. Nocturne is a title given to a number of character pieces primarily written by Chopin, and the Irish composer John Field. Chopin’s Nocturnes are supposedly inspired by Field’s. There are some other examples, notably Gabriel Faure. Nocturne means “night piece” and they are meant to have a dreamy, sometimes a little lonely or spooky flavor. I don’t know which nocturne you are referring to — can’t think of one that sounds like the “Moonlight” — but they have similar moods, perhaps.
