Life
1782-1837; b. 26 July, Dublin, taught music by his f., a violinist in
the Theatre Royal; studied under Tommaso Giordani; debut at 9; apprenticed
to Muzio Clementi initially as pianoforte demonstrator and salesman, London,
1793; brought by Clementi to Paris in 1802, and later to Germany, Austria
(Vienna), and St Petersberg; settled in Russia, but toured Europe as fashionable
player, composer, and teacher for some 30 years, returning to London in
1832, where his E flat piano concerto given at a Philharmonic Society
concert enjoyed great success; his personal keyboard style was subseq.
expanded by Chopin, Schumann, Listz and others; 2 of his concertos were
among the finest in the 19th c. repertoire; originator of the Piano Nocturne,
of which he wrote 18 [var 20]; also seven concertos, four sonatas, and
a number of shorter piecesreturned to Moscow in ill health after furher
visits to France and Italy; died in Russian, 11 Jan.; the form has dreamy
melody decorated with ornate figuration over an arpeggiated harmonic bass;
there is an engraved portrait by Carl Mayer, Nuremberg. BREF DIB DNB
[ top ]
Notes
John O’Connor, the Irish pianist, was honoured with the Chopin Medal
on 11 Sept. 1992 in recognition of his ‘outstanding interpretation’
of the music of John Field, creator of the nocturne which was later perfected
by Chopin. The presentation was made in Dublin by the Polish ambassador
Mr Ernest Bryll. (Irish Times, 12 Sept. 1992).
Field’s ‘Nocturne’ piano is in the house of Pushkin in St. Petersburg, and is the subject of a poem by Theo Dorgan.
Portrait John Field., ill. in Grove’s Dict. of Musicians, vol. I, pl.XVI; see Anne Crookshank, ed., Irish Portrait Exhibition (Ulster Mus. 1965)
[ top ]
Princess Grace Irish Library (Monaco)