JOHN FIELD

Field was born at Dublin July 26, 1782, and died at Moscow January 11, 1837. He came of a musical family, and was made to practice hard in childhood. His father apprenticed him to Clementi for one hundred guineas, and Field made himself useful as a piano salesman in Clementi’s shop besides being a pupil of the great master. He made his London debut in 1794. When Clementi went to Russia by way of Paris and Germany he took Field with him, and Field attracted considerable attention, Spohr, especially, being much impressed with his ability. Clementi returned to England, in 1804, but Field remained in St. Petersburg and achieved remarkable success as a pianist and teacher. He also had great success in Moscow in 1823, and after further traveling in Russia returned to London in 1832. A year later he went through Paris, Belgium and Switzerland to Italy. He failed to please and became sick and destitute in Naples. A Russian family took him back to Moscow, but it was too late, and his own intemperance was largely responsible for his early death. His piano concertos and other pieces created much interest in his day, but Field is chiefly remembered by his nocturnes. He wrote twenty of them, and many of them are very charming. The best, perhaps, is the one in E flat. It was left to Chopin, however, to realize the full possibilities of the nocturne. Field was a remarkable pianist, possessing a "smooth and equable touch" and a perfect legato.