John Fields: Nocturnes

 by Bill Heck 

Field: Nocturnes. Alice Sara Ott, piano. Deutsche Grammophon 4866239

Utter the word “nocturne“ to a lover of classical music and you are pretty much guaranteed that the name “Chopin” will come back. Indeed, for many of us, nocturnes for solo piano begin and end with Chopin. But it is more accurate to say that, whenever they “end”, nocturnes begin earlier, arguably with John Field.

Field lived from 1782 to 1837, straddling the transition from the Classical to early Romantic periods. Although Irish by birth (one of a relative handful of composers from the Emerald Isle), he spent most of his life elsewhere, first in England and later in Russia. Although he established a reputation as a major virtuoso in his early years, by the time of his death he was perceived as being somewhat out of date. Still, his works, especially those for solo piano and particularly the nocturnes, influenced composers like Schumann, Chopin of course, and even Liszt.

John Field

So what, pray tell, is a nocturne? The name translates roughly as “night piece”, which suggests quiet, gentle sounds; musically nocturnes are expected to be works for solo piano in which the left hand plays (mostly) arpeggiated chords while the right plays a melody. The earliest of Field’s nocturnes fit that pattern, but, as it is common with composers of merit, Field’s compositional techniques evolved so that his latter nocturnes go beyond this simple definition. It will surprise no one to hear that by the time Chopin came along, the definition was stretched to the breaking point, but one can still hear the echoes of those Fieldian beginnings.

Regardless of definitions and comparisons, Field’s nocturnes are more than worth seeking out. No, you won’t confuse Field’s works with those of the true master of the form, Chopin, but they are eminently listenable and enjoyable. While performances have not exactly flooded the market, there have been several recordings of the complete list of 18 that deserve mention, including those of John O’Connor from the 1990s and Tyler Hay from last year (2024). Now we have this very nice set from Alice Sara Ott, one that is right up there with the best.

Alice Sara Ott

Ott, born in Germany in 1988, proved a prodigy, doing well in youth piano competition at age 5 and winning a major German one at 7. An active recording and concert performance career has followed, with this album being, so far as I can tell, her tenth. She announced in 2019 that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, but thankfully that hardly seems to have affected her career; the list of upcoming engagements on her website makes me feel exhausted just reading it.

I find the playing here a “just right“ blend of straightforwardness and expressivity, bringing out the beauty and ingenuity of the works without engaging in distracting mannerisms or drawing attention to the performer rather than the music itself. It’s certainly not that Ott‘s playing is in any way mechanical, nor is there any lack of technical virtuosity (just listen to the clarity in the zippy, tinkling runs in number 12). But that virtuosity always seems to be in service of the music, sounding quite natural.

It certainly helps Ott’s cause that the DG recording is first rate. The sound is close, but not too close, with just a bit of room sound, and is fully coherent, meaning it sounds like a real piano in a real place. It’s easy to immerse oneself in sound like this.

When I first ran across this album on my streaming service and heard these charming works, I blushed in mild shame to think that I was so unacquainted with Field’s oeuvre. But I was relieved to find in Ott’s personal but informative liner notes that she, too, knew next to nothing of Field’s nocturnes until she ran across them more or less by chance while searching for uplifting music during the worst of the Covid pandemic. First Ott, then me – and I suggest, dear reader, that you also may wish to become acquainted with these compositions in such excellent performances as found here.