John Field: Complete Nocturnes [180g 2 LP]

by Alice Sara Ott

Overview

Pianist Alice Sara Ott writes in the booklet to this Deutsche Grammophon release that she, like most others, identified the nocturne genre with its most famous practitioner, Chopin. However, she discovered the genre's originator, the Irish composer John Field, during the COVID-19 pandemic and became immersed in the 18 pieces here. The result is a fascinating souvenir of that era; although the album was not made until late 2024, it has a unique interior quality. Various people have recorded these works, some seeking more Chopin-esque expression in them than Ott does. Ott, in fact, goes in the other direction, playing the music directly in a slightly quick tempo, with close attention to its treatments of register and texture. What comes out is that although Field's harmonic language is much more diatonic than that of Chopin, his moods and structures are similar. Consider the Nocturne No. 9 in E minor, which has achieved a measure of virality in streaming formats. Ott takes the simplicity of its melody and leaves it alone, creating space for the utterly logical elaborations of the material that follow. Everything on the album draws on deeper in as the program proceeds; Ott's playing often has this quality, but here, she outdoes herself. The sound from the Emil Berliner captures every bit of the details of attack and texture Ott finds. A marvelous release that one will treasure, this album made classical best-seller charts in early 2025.

Product Details

Release Date:	04/11/2025
Label:	Deutsche Gram France
UPC:	0028948662395

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Alice Sara Ott   Primary Artist,Piano

Technical Credits

Estelle Werner   Project Coordinator
Nicole Maurer   A&R
Isabel Stibor   Product Manager
Anush Alimirzaie   Executive Producer,A&R
Mareike Walter   Design
Leonie Petersen   Product Manager
Juan Moreno   Assistant Engineer,Recording
Christopher Tarnow   Mastering Engineer,Recording,Mixing,Producer,Mastering
Oliver Kreyssig   Production Manager
Michel Brandjes   Piano Technician
John Field   Composer
Jochen Rudelt   Booklet Editor
Alice Sara Ott   Liner Notes
Hannes Caspar   Cover Photo,Photography