John Field Nocturnes

John Field is credited as the true ‘inventor’ of the Nocturne. After experimenting with other names such as Pastorale Serenade and Romance he settled on Nocturne when his first one was published in 1812. Fields Nocturnes follow no known form nor do they develop a given theme. Instead they set up a mood and atmosphere of tenderness and dreaminess combined with a continuous flow of beautiful melody that appeals directly to the listener’s willingness to share an emotion mostly of consoled sadness. It was Field’s Nocturnes that greatly influenced Chopin who absorbed the emotional characteristics of the Nocturne style and used them to create his own unique expressive compositions. Nocturne No.1 E Flat Major Nocturne No.2 C Minor Nocturne No.3 A flat Major Nocturne No.4 A Major Nocturne No.5 B flat Major Nocturne No.6 F Major Nocturne No.7 C Major Nocturne No.8 A Major Nocturne No.9 E flat Major Nocturne No.10 E Minor Nocturne No.11 E flat Major Nocturne No.12 G Major Nocturne No.13 D Minor Nocturne No.14 C Major Nocturne No.15 C Major Nocturne No.16 F Major Nocturne No.17 E Major Nocturne No.18 E Major