John field the classical composers database musicalics. Fields music is not often performed today but he is historically important as the inventor of the nocturne, a short, freeform piano piece designed purely to express a mood. The irish composer john field is a onetrick pony in the music history books, but its a mighty big trick. In contrast to his immediate predecessors, field wrote music that calls for characteristically expressive. He was born in dublin into a musical family, and received his early education there.
Libkis university ofcalifoknia tn henry nash library san francisco presented to the. Elizabeth joy roe performs fields complete nocturnes. The complete nocturnes miceal orourke on allmusic 1989. The project discussion page is the place to talk about technical and editorial issues and exchange ideas. This record joins john oconors early sets of the nocturnes telarc, 590 and concertos onyxnla to form an invaluable salute to irelands most celebrated composer. John field 17821837 was an irish composer and pianist. Irish composer john field 17821837, a great pianist and composer, is often credited with inventing the piano nocturne. Regardless of who was first to coin the term nocturne, 19thcentury irish composer john field s nocturnes, 15 of which are included here, stand side by side with those of chopin for their consummate tunefulness, harmonic ingenuity, and pure pianistic resourcefulness. Chopin wrote the nocturnes, short pieces for solo piano, between 1827 and 1846. I have only recently become cognizant of john field s works,and am happy to have done so. However, john field wrote his nocturnes first and chopin admired them. In the sphere of romantic piano music, john fields significance was estimable.
Field was born in dublin in 1782, the son of a violinist, but moved with his family to london in 1793. A student of clementi, the irish composer john field was especially known for his nocturnes and the influence of these musical mood. Nocturnal, in music, a composition inspired by, or evocative of, the night, and cultivated in the 19th century primarily as a character piece for piano. Historically, nocturne is a very old term applied to night offices and, since the middle ages, to divisions in the canonical hour of matins. Best known for his 18 piano nocturnes, precedents of the chopin nocturnes. He was the first to write nocturnes, who were the prime inspiration for chopin s. John field 1782 1837 to the irish pianist and composer john field has been credited the invention of the nocturne, a form later adopted and developed by chopin. Chopin was an admirer of john field and was influenced by fields nocturnes. John field bio, albums, pictures naxos classical music. He is best known for being the first composer to write nocturnes. On john fields nocturnes by franz liszt 1859 theory of music. You cant play field nocturnes as if they were composed by chopin. The fields soon moved to london, where field studied under muzio clementi.
John field was the inspiration for frederich chopins nocturnes. Regardless of who was first to coin the term nocturne, 19thcentury irish composer john fields nocturnes, 15 of which are included here, stand side by side. This complete collection of the nocturnes includes a useful thematic index and footnotes citing the differences between the. His nocturnes soulful, expressive piano miniatures that.
A nocturne from the french which meant nocturnal, from latin nocturnus is usually a musical composition that is inspired by, or evocative of, the night. Field is best known as the inventor of the nocturne, but there is evidence to suggest that this is a posthumous accolade. These interpretations by elizabeth joe roe are consistently thoughtful and well measured. A profile of the composer john field 17821837 along with a list of their works available to browse and buy. Favorite nocturnes and other works for piano dover. They are considered among the finest short solo works for piano. Open books is a nonprofit social venture that provides. Nocturnes to enjoy in your home or car, or gift it to another music lover.
The publication of the first six nocturnes by field, united here for the first time, will assuredly meet the desires of all who. They are beautiful and rich and can be listened to carefully over and over, or they can blend in the background during study time. Fellow irishman john oconor informs each of these gems with interpretive. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. There are monographs in french, italian, german and russian, while the latest. These nocturnes by the irish composer john fields are not as well known as those by chopin, but in my mind they are just as significant an achievement. John field composer is within the scope of the composers wikiproject, a group of editors writing and developing biographical articles about composers of all eras and styles. Excellent cd showcasing some beautiful compositions by lesserknown irish composer john field. He had a great influence on early romantic composers, especially chopin, who wrote 21 nocturnes. But elsewhere you could hardly ask for greater warmth, sustained beauty of tone and line or more uncontaminated musicmaking. An influential early romantic composer for piano, he redefined the term nocture. Performed by john oconor john field 17821837, irish pianist and composer, the father of piano nocturne.
Mar 04, 2020 john field, born july 26, 1782, dublindied jan. John field has been called the father of the nocturne, creating the form which chopin perfected, but thus relegated to a footnote in musical history. Field published his first nocturne in 1812, and his final, 17th and 18th nocturnes were published after his death in 1837. This complete collection of the nocturnes includes a useful thematic index and footnotes citing the. Both are very relaxing with excellent sound quality. An important early romantic composer for piano, john field 17821837 is best known today for his nocturnes, brief, lyrical solo piano pieces that exerted a lasting influence on such later composers as chopin and schumann. Pdf chopin nocturnes complete download ebook for free. In contrast to his immediate predecessors, field wrote music that calls for characteristically expressive and sensitive performance rather than virtuosic bravura. The complete nocturnes classical music album play streams in full or download mp3 from classical archives, the largest and. Faure gabriel nocturnes and barcarolles piano solo piano solo sheet music dover publications. John field composer buy recordings presto classical.
So one should consider john field as a composer in the classical period mold, not an arch romantic. This collection brings together the most popular and often performed of the. No its not chopin, but i would not have expected it to be it is great music, that speaks for itself. Chopin was unquestionably influenced by field, most of all by the nocturnes field also wrote polonaises. The bbva foundation announces arvo part as the recipient of the frontiers of knowledge award in the field of music and opera. John field 1782 1837, 18 nocturnes 1812 1836 performed by benjamin frith 00.
Today, the name most associated with the nocturne would have to be chopin, who was inspired by fields piano technique as well. This album is an excellent way to become better acquainted with some of the best stress relieving music around. John field was an irish pianist, composer, and teacher. That is all most people know about this remarkable and influential irish composer. Oct 29, 2008 this is an extract from franz liszts essay on john field s nocturnes.
Field certainly doesnt approach chopin as a composer, but he is very much worth listening to or playing, nonetheless. Chopins nocturnes are the archetypes of romantic piano music, and count among his best loved works. Follow field, john composer report problem sheet music sales from usa. Chandos records is one of the worlds premier classical music record companies, best known for its ground breaking search for neglected musical gems. Field was credited with inventing the form, though its. Very few composers are credited with having invented a form, but the one thing most people know about john field is that he invented the nocturne. To the irish pianist and composer john field has been credited the invention of the nocturne, a form later adopted and developed by chopin.
He was born in dublin into a musical family and received his early education there. They are generally considered among the finest short solo works for the instrument and hold an important place in contemporary concert repertoire. Field is best remembered for his eighteen nocturnes which are single movement impromptu compositions for piano that maintain a single mood throughout. Universal edition receives german music edition award best edition for gustav mahlers titan adieu a special event with composer david ianni in honour of the grand duke jean of luxembourg. Field marked a transition in classical music from an emphasis on technical virtuosity to lyrical expression, and paved way for composers like chopin of whom he was later quite critical. John field was an irish composer, contemporary with beethoven, whose music embraces the romantic aesthetic which was emerging in all the arts of the time. John field the composers life and work universal edition. Omissions and additons are indicated by square brackets. An influential early romantic composer for piano, john field 17821837 redefined the term nocturne. This list is arranged according to hopkinson numbers, introduced in the 1961 catalogue by cecil hopkinson h 24 nocturne for piano no. Finally available, this collection opens up the world of the origins of nocturnes as a musical genre.
The following 23 pages are in this category, out of 23 total. A number of composers who were influential in their day have, with hindsight, barely stood the test of time. Go search best sellers gift ideas new releases deals store. The following 20 pages are in this category, out of 20 total. This double cd from chandos features all 18 of the nocturnes composed by john field. Aug 04, 2007 hello everybody, this is my first posting on piano society.
A student of clementi, the irish composer john field was especially known for his nocturnes and the influence of these musical mood pieces on the works of frederic chopin. Excellent book of note for note transcriptions of fields nocturnes. All 23 recordings 2 naxos s scores p parts 7 a arrangements and transcriptions 5 collections 20 collections by or with. Credited with the creation of the nocturne, i found this to be an engaging collection of wonderful music, beautifully performed by john oconor also an irish man. Meet john field, the irish composer who invented the. Browse and buy sheet music by the composer john field 17821837. The essay was first published in 1859 as a preface to liszts edition of six of the nocturnes. John field inasmuch as the year 1914 was the centenary of the nocturne invented by an irish composer, john field, it may be of interest to give a short biography of that remarkable virtuoso, especially as no english memoir is as yet accessible. Field wrote a large number of compositions, among them being 27 nocturnes including number 5 which ably demonstrate the delicacy of his compositional technique. He is best known for being the first musician to write nocturnes. Im a big admirer of field s nocturnes and am attaching one of my favourites that i recorded a while ago, no. January 23, 1837 was an irish composer and pianist. On john fields nocturnes by franz liszt 1859 theory.
He died at 54 of cancer, complicated by alcoholism. This is why the ill informed performances of the likes of oconor and orourke just dont cut the mustard as far as im concerned. Chopin popularized nocturnes, but he did not invent them. Regardless of who was first to coin the term nocturne, 19thcentury irish composer john fields nocturnes, 15 of which are included here, stand side by side with those of chopin for their consummate tunefulness, harmonic ingenuity, and pure pianistic resourcefulness. Fellow irishman john oconor informs each of these gems with interpretive authenticity, unpretentious refinement, and elegance. Irish composer john field s nocturnes for piano are known for being the first nocturnes ever written list of works. Formerly used to designate music to be performed at night, nocturnes came to be regarded as music that is nocturnal in mood.
This kalmus classic edition offers the advanced pianist 18 of field s elegant nocturnes including nocturne no. Irish composer john fields nocturnes for piano are known for being the first nocturnes ever written list of works. Nocturnes by john field, hamilton harty, john ireland, walter leigh, english sinfonia, daniel adni from amazons classical music store. Although chopin did not invent the nocturne, he popularized and expanded on it, building on the form developed by irish composer john field.
Consequently, the extent of field s contribution to 19thcentury musical life, and to piano literature, has yet to be truly explored. Irish composer john field created the nocturne, but his work is obscure and rarely performed. It needed the genius of chopin to perfect the genre to the highest artistic level. Field was born in dublin in 1782, the son of a violinist, but moved with his family to london in 1793, perhaps taking violin lessons from haydns friend salomon. Field first studied music at home with his father and grandfather and afterward in london with muzio clementi, under whose tuition, given in return for field s services as a piano. I would and have highly recommend this cd,along with the 15 sonatas. This list is arranged according to hopkinson numbers, introduced in the 1961 catalogue by cecil hopkinso. Chopin was an admirer of john field and was influenced by field s nocturnes. Born in 1782 in dublin, he became one of the most celebrated pianist. By the time chopin came along, field was already an established composer. Nocturne in eflat major nocturne in c minor nocturne in aflat major nocturne in a major nocturne in bflat major nocturne in f. This is an extract from franz liszts essay on john field s nocturnes.
Petersburg as a salesman, and decided to stay in russia where he made his reputation as composer and pianist. The nocturnes night pieces are among the most introspective and personal of chopins works, as he was influenced by john field s pieces of the same title. May 03, 2016 performed by john oconor john field 17821837, irish pianist and composer, the father of piano nocturne. A chapter on hummel features by way of acknowledging that he also exerted influence on chopin. Field was born in dublin in 1782, became an apprentice to pianomaker and composer muzio clementi, was sent to st. Start this article has been rated as startclass on the projects quality scale. As a posthumous construction, however, this image of the composer pianist is misleading. John field composer 17821837 play streams in full or download mp3 from classical archives, the largest and best organized classical music site on the web. John field, the greatest irish musical figure of the romantic era, developed a highly influential keyboard style that provided a direct path to the music of chopin.