FIELD, Joirg (1782-1837). An English com poser, born in Dublin. lie was the immediate pre cursor and probable model of Chopin and the modern school of pianoforte composition. Field came of musical stock. Nis father was a violin ist and his grandfather, of whom he took his first lessons, an organist.. Subsequently, when the family removed to London, he was appren ticed to Clementi, who then had a pianoforte busi ness and who, recognizing the youth's remarkable. gifts, taught. him, and employed him to show off pianofortes to customers. With Clementi he went in IS02 on an extended concert, tour, visit ing Paris, Germany, and Russia, where his piano forte playing was greatly admired. On a second visit to Saint Peteishurg in ISO4 he remained' there as a much admired teacher and virtuoso. Ik did not return to London until 1832, appefir ing there most. suecessfully in concert.. A subse quent tour in Italy proved a failure. Under the effects of disappointment and dissipation he broke down at. Naples, where, nine months later,
he was taken out of the hospital by a Russian family with NV110111 Ile returned to Moscow. But he never recovered his health, and died in _Mos cow. Field's works that have survived are his w.turn•s. They were the first successful efforts at composition unrestrained by classical form and offering the composer freedom of poetic fancy. In their name, their romantic and sub treatment, as well as in their technical aspect, they clearly indicate the starting-point of Chopin and of the modern romantic school. Ilis works include 7 concertos (No. 4 of which was the most popular) ; 4 sonatas; 3 airs in rondean; 4 romances; 18 nocturnes, and nu merous other pieces of kindred type. An essay on Field by Liszt and reminiscences of him in Spolir's autobiography will be found interesting.