John Field, (July 26, 1782 - January 23, 1837) was an Irish virtuoso pianist and composer, and is widely known as the inventor of the genre called 'Nocturne', commonly written for the piano.
Musically expressive and often technically demanding, this genre is known for its lyrical and introspective qualities and imaginative harmonies, often evoking feelings of tranquility, mystery, tenderness, longing and melancholy.
Field's 21 Nocturnes, praised by Franz Liszt for their "vague eolian harmonies" and "delicious melancholy," served as a source of inspiration for Chopin and played a crucial role in shaping his development of the Nocturne form. Chopin admired Field's eloquent melodies and innovative harmonic language and built upon them to progress the Nocturne form even further.
Field's ornamented melodies and harmonious broken chord patterns, have not only inspired Chopin, but provided the most solid foundation upon which all the next generations of composers built their own Nocturnes (such as Robert Schumann, Claude Debussy, Béla Bartók, Paul Hindemith etc.)
So, although the Nocturne genre stays firmly rooted in the Romantic period, and is one of its most loved genre, its influence can be seen in contemporary music, demonstrating the enduring power of this evocative, expressive and heart touching musical style.
The Nocturnes of John Field have few rivals for music well known by history but so seldom heard and even more seldom performed publicly. I try to re-introduce Field's Nocturnes by adding them to my recital's programmes and also by encouraging my students/mentorees to do the same. And hopefully, we will hear more of this beautifully lyrical music being performed on stage in the future.
Video: Xenia E. Zilli plays John Field: Nocturne No. 2 in C minor
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