A History of the Nocturne from Field to Chopin

Chopin’s Nocturnes are a cornerstone of the piano repertoire, while the Nocturnes of John Field, always said to be the “inventor” of the genre, remain obscure—often seen as a mere precursor to Chopin. Yet in Chopin’s day, Field was seen as a trailblazer and a sincere artist, whose introspective performances brought heartfelt expression to the concert room, at a time when most pianists sought frivolous complexity. This week, I'm presenting a lecture-recital on the history of the Nocturne for the Centre for Keyboard Heritage and Performance Research (CKHPR) series of "Intimate Musical Conversations" at WAAPA. I'll be playing a selection of Nocturnes by John Field and Chopin on a replica of an 1819 Conrad Graf piano, built by Paul McNulty.