John Field was born in Dublin in 1782 and gave his first public performance at the age of 10. He was musically educated largely by Muzio Clementi who took Field as a young boy to Europe to demonstrate his pianos. When Clementi returned from Russia, Field stayed. He became a star. It was said, ‘Not to have heard Field was a sin against art and good taste.’ He became in great demand as a teacher and teaching paid more than his concerts. He spent money freely and lived a life of luxury, never composing as much as perhaps he should have done—‘It was necessary for him to be urged by his friends for a long time before he decided to sit down to the piano and begin.’
Alcohol was his downfall. He became known as ‘Drunken John’. His biographer, Patrick Piggott, tells how, in 1810, ‘an enormous audience had assembled to hear him play and waited in vain for him to appear. The chief of police was sent to find him and they eventually ran him to earth in a restaurant surrounded by his drinking cronies. He was bundled into a carriage and rushed to the hall. He stumbled to the piano, swaying slightly, bowed to the audience and the public’s anger evaporated in affectionate laughter and a roar of applause. He often played at his best when slightly drunk.’ His groundbreaking nocturnes pre-dated those of Chopin and are rarely played better than by Benjamin Frith who we are thrilled will be performing nocturnes by both Field and Chopin at LPF on Friday May 26th at 4.45pm.