Nuits blanches, Op. 82

Eighteen lyric pieces for piano, Op. 82, published 1853. The French title means 'Sleepless Nights' (literally 'White Nights'), evoking the nocturnal restlessness of insomnia; the German subtitle 'Blumen-, Frucht- und Dornenstücke' (Flower, Fruit, and Thorn Pieces) is borrowed from Jean Paul's novel, indicating Heller's literary-Romantic sensibility. The 18 pieces are lyric character pieces in the tradition of Schumann's Kinderszenen and Nachtstücke — short, concentrated musical statements ranging from gentle and song-like to agitated and restless. Heller's connection to the literary Romantics was strong: he was a friend of Berlioz, Chopin, and Liszt in Paris, and moved in the same circles as the writers and artists who defined French Romantic culture. The Nuits blanches are among his most personal and artistically concentrated works.