John Field (1782–1837)

Born in Dublin into a family of musicians, John Field became in London the pupil and apprentice of Muzio Clementi, who also used him to demonstrate the pianos made by his firm. In 1802 he accompanied Clementi on a tour that took them to St Petersburg.

Field stayed in Russia, where he made a career as a pianist and sought-after teacher in St Petersburg and later Moscow. His playing was famous for its beautiful touch and singing tone rather than for brilliance. He died in Moscow in 1837.

From 1812 he published pieces he called “nocturnes”: a singing, ornamented right-hand melody over a wide arpeggiated accompaniment sustained by the pedal. This model directly inspired Chopin, then Liszt and many others. He also wrote seven piano concertos.

His nocturnes are an excellent preparation for Chopin’s: they teach singing legato, harmonic pedalling and free ornamentation, in simpler writing.