John Field Essentials

The early 19th-century Irish pianist and composer, John Field, is widely known by reputation, at least, for inventing the Nocturne, a now well-established genre of piano piece. The Nocturnes Field composed for himself to perform were ideally suited to the poetic yet directly communicative style of his playing: You may try the by turns whimsical and wistful “Midi” Nocturne in E major, or the brooding “Dernière pensée” which surely reflects the Slavic melancholy typical of the songs of Russia where he spent so much of his career. Yet there was a great deal more to this composer, as you may discover in this playlist. No surprise to find Variations on a Russian Air for piano duet and Variations on a Russian Folksong for solo piano, both dating from his years in St Petersburg. Field also composed no less than seven piano concertos, which are not so much virtuosic showpieces as song-like outpourings—Field was widely admired for playing that was less about showmanship and more about beguiling melodic invention and song-like phrasing. The elegant 18th-century roots of his style are evident in such early works as his Piano Sonata No. 1, written under the influence of his first teacher, the composer, music publisher and instrument maker Muzio Clementi, who was responsible for first introducing Field to Russia in 1802. In that country, Field’s style evolved and matured to the point where he composed the understated yet poignant Largo in C minor in his own highly individual style.