Nationality:
Irish
Born:
Dublin,
July 26th
1782
Died:
Moscow,
January 23rd
1837
Type
of music: Piano music
Main
works: 18
Nocturnes
John
field seems to elude the classical music repertoire today, especially
in the concert format. It seems unjust, as he is one of the very
first romantics, and would be influential to many composers after
him.
He
learned piano reluctantly with instruction from his father, a
violinist at a Dublin theatre, but would make significant progress
under Muzio Clementi, who also employed Field as a piano salesman in
his showrooms.
Until
Field, Composition was restricted to coercive form, but he introduced
a new writing style, which consisted of single movement pieces. He is
credited as the first composer to publish a new type of piece called
a “Nocturne”. These are single movement pieces rich with feeling
and emotion.
Field's
18 Nocturnes are lyrical and melancholic, a reflection of his own
weak disposition and character. He was not confined to the service of
the church or the nobility and disregarded fame, so his Nocturnes
were a means to express his emotions to himself and for himself. It
is said he would practice with coins on the back of his hands to
perfect his gentle playing style that was required for these pieces.
The Italian school believe the Nocturnes of the romantic period were
inspired by the 'Notturno', an Italian song with a grander character
and lavish melodies, so when John Field played his Nocturnes for the
aristocratic audiences of Milan, Venice and Naples in 1832, they were
left somewhat disappointed by his delicate touch and melancholy.
Nocturnes
are synonymous with the composer Frederic Chopin, who played Field's
Nocturnes in his own public performances. Chopin admired this new
style of composition and would set out to develop it to his own
taste. The two sets of Nocturnes still share many similarities.
Many
other composers of the romantic era owe thanks to John Field's new
style of writing, as it opened the opportunity for such pieces as
Lieder ohne worte, impromptus, ballads and other types of lyric
pieces.
"I
am a pianist” - Field
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