3. Nachtstück "Very quietly, with half sound. Almost without expression."

The "Nachtstück" in this movement differs in character from the "Nocturne" established by J. Field and F. Chopin. Rather than merely possessing a lyrical and meditative character, it can be said to be a "Nachtstück" as music that depicts a somewhat surreal dream world. In the case of this movement, the impression is of a powerless sound, conveying the emptiness of people who had become mere labor force in the mass society of the time of composition, and a sense of resignation and indignation towards the materialistic consumer society that created such a situation.

Ternary Form (ABA' Form)

Although no time signature is indicated in the score, the movement is consistently in 3/2 time throughout.

A: Measures 1-35

The opening 4-measure motif is varied and repeated in measures 11-14 and 27-30, respectively. In contrast to the preceding two movements, the tempo is slow, and there is little musical momentum. The dynamic p is generally dominant, and within the heavy music where the bass stagnates in the low register, the melody led by the right hand shows a will to ascend, increasing in volume from ppp to ff (measures 15-19). However, no sooner has it reached its climax than it is pulled down by the gravity brought by the striking of a minor triad on G in the bass, ephemerally falling (descending) while weakening back to p (measures 19-22).

B: Measures 36-65 "Ein wenig belebter" (A little more lively)

There is a performance instruction "Sehr zart und leise" (Very delicate and quiet), and the overall register is about two octaves higher than in section A, creating a dreamlike sound space. A long, expansive phrase from measures 36-46 is developed and varied in measures 52-62.

A': Measures 66-98 "Quietly, at the initial tempo"

The opening 4-measure motif of A is recapitulated with a changed register, and the 4-measure motif from measure 23 is recapitulated almost exactly (measures 66-73). Subsequently, the expansive phrase originating from the opening 4 measures of A is developed and varied twice. The first time (measures 74-88), from measure 79, it again shows a will to ascend, rapidly expanding in register with right-hand leaps. However, peaking at ff in measure 83, from measure 85 it is overwhelmed by a series of chromatically descending dissonances in triplets, accompanied by the instruction "allmählich zurückgehen" (gradually fading). The second time (measures 89-98), the register gradually lowers until measure 95, and the volume also weakens to pp. After a one-measure rest, the last two measures suddenly become about two octaves higher in register, and the first half of the opening 4-measure motif of A, which has been repeatedly heard, is varied at ppp and concludes.