Field: Piano Music, Vol. 2

Benjamin

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Cat No: 8550762

Release Date: 01 June 2000

Label: Naxos / Naxos Classics

Packaging Type: Jewel Case

No of Units: 1

Barcode: 730099576222

Genres: Classical

Composer/Series: FIELD

Description
John Field (1782-1837)Piano Music Volume 2 John Field was born in Dublin in 1782, the son of a theatreviolinist. He was taught the piano first by his father and then from the age ofnine by the Neapolitan composer and impresario Tommaso Giordani, who had settledin Dublin in 1783. Field himself made his debut as a pianist in Dublin on 24thMarch 1792 at the Rotunda Assembly Rooms in a Lenten concert organized by Giordani,advertised, with pardonable understatement, as eight years old. He played inlater Spiritual Concerts in the season, including in one programme a concertoby his teacher. In 1793 the Fields moved to Bath, hoping, perhaps, to usetheir connection with the famous castrato and composer Venanzio Rauzzini whohad settled there, but by the autumn of the same year they had moved again, thistime to London. Here Field's father played as a violinist in the HaymarketTheatre orchestra and found the substantial sum of a hundred guineas to buy hisson John an apprenticeship with Muzio Clementi. In London John Field appearedin 1794, at the age of twelve, as the talented ten-year-old pupil of Clementi. Haydn,in a diary entry of 1795, records his impression of "Field a young boy,which plays the pianoforte Extremely well" and on 25th May that year Fieldplayed a concerto in a benefit concert that included a Haydn "Overture".Clementi himself combined musical and commercial interests and by the 1790s hadestablished himself as the leading piano teacher in London, investingsubstantially in piano manufacture and music publishing. Field's apprenticeshipbrought the advantages of a sound musical training, continued appearances in Londonconcerts and the start of a necessarily concomitant career as a composer. 1801 saw the end of Field's seven-year apprenticeship andthe following year Clementi set out for Paris, taking Field with him. Fromthere they travelled on to Vienna, Clementi intent on his business ventures butobviously having Field's interests at heart. There lessons in counterpoint werearranged with Albrechtsberger, Beethoven's former teacher. Clementi hadintended to leave Field to fend for himself in Vienna while he travelled to Russiato promote sales of his pianos and his interests in publishing. Field begged tobe allowed to accompany him and Clementi agreed, with some reluctance, sincethis would mean a material addition to the expenses he might now incur. In Russia Clementi was able to use Field, as he had donein London, as a demonstrator in his piano sale-rooms, but there were necessaryeconomies which led to Field's later resentment, although the journey had been undertakenat his own request. There were later stories of near starvation and ofinadequate clothing for the Russian winter. Field found it possible, however,to establish himself, after Clementi's departure in 1803, enjoying thehospitality of General Marklovsky in the summer and in March 1804 giving the firstperformance in Russia of his own Piano Concerto No. I, which was well
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