Customer Reviews

Field:Piano Music, Vol. 1 (Nocturnes and Sonatas)

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THIS REVIEW APPLIES TO VOL.II, which should be purchased as a companion to this CD!

Words are going to fail me here. Frith is a sorcerer-the piano sings under his fingers--one almost hears the instrument draw breath between phrases. One hears the influence of Donizetti and Bellini, and the piano "sings" a real legato line, nuanced just the way a singer would do it. Frith is the perfect pianist for Field's prophecies of Chopin. This music would not be as beguiling played by an artist less attuned to its particular sort of sensitivity. I've heard a lot of other performances of this repertoire that don't begin to do show it for what it really is. It's like hearing a routine performance of, say, "Casta diva" that merely accounts for what's on the page, and then hearing Callas lavish her artistry on the same aria. Suddenly the intelligence and musical and dramatic instincts of the artist makes what seemed pedestrian spring to vivid life. The recorded sound is warm and natural. You MUST hear this!

This is delicate, peaceful music. Perfect to listen to perhaps as one gazes out into nature. Yes, the composer captures a spirit of Chopin, but has his own gift. The recording also includes two of his sonatas, and in these works in particular the compositional voice is his own. A beautiful recording.

***NOTE: THIS REVIEW APPLIES TO VOLUME TWO AS WELL THAT THE LISTENER IS ADVISED TO PURCHASE AS A COMPANION PIECE.

I've only recently discovered the works of John Field. What a pleasant surprise. Field's work is like that of no other. The listener is treated to a wide range of performance techniques covering a vast landscape of musical geography and temperament.

This collection of excellent Nocturnes and Sonatas fits right in with other piano specialists: Chopin, Liszt, Beethoven and Schubert.

For those asking "who's John Field," here's the answer.

The recording performed by Benjamin Frith is excellent. His performance is both nuanced and powerful. The transcription to CD has been executed flawlessly and the price is right, less than ten dollars.

Me gusta mucho el piano, y buscando autores poco conocidos (al menos por mi), encontre este disco,y me gusto lo que escuche.

One must have a desire to hear Field's music to own this. Field was, to my thinking, a lesser composer and these perfomances demonstrate that.