# John Field!



## MatthewWeflen (Jan 24, 2019)

Well, the Presto Classical download sale has borne major fruit for me. For all of six bucks, I purchased this collection of John Field Piano Concertos, and I have been simply delighted as I listened to them over the past few nights (the sound quality on this set is exceptional).






I have found them all extremely impressive as compositions, especially 1 and 4. To me they stand up to the giants of the genre, such as Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky. An Irishman, he lived from 1782-1837, met Beethoven, and influenced Liszt, Chopin, Brahms and Schumann.

I'm just gobsmacked at never having heard of him before, and this is one of the major benefits of exploring outside your comfort zone when a sale affords you the opportunity.

I've picked up several other sets of concertos and chamber works, from composers such as Dvorak, Schumann, Hindemith, Milhaud, Penderecki, Saint-Saens, Fuare... so yeah, my wallet has gotten a workout but I have acquired so much interesting music to explore!


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

MatthewWeflen said:


> influenced Liszt, Chopin, Brahms and Schumann.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

Indeed, there's a bountiful harvest of good music from this Field.


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## Ethereality (Apr 6, 2019)

Not really my cup of tea, or should I say, cup of water. If I had to I'd rather hear pop or other genres.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

MatthewWeflen said:


> Well, the Presto Classical download sale has borne major fruit for me. For all of six bucks, I purchased this collection of John Field Piano Concertos, and I have been simply delighted as I listened to them over the past few nights (the sound quality on this set is exceptional).
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Is that the Brilliant Classics set? I just bought that from Presto as well and was listening to it well into the night. My favorite is the 3rd Concerto with the middle movement that is one of the Nocturnes. I dug out my recording of Fields Nocturnes on the now defunct Telarc label and will be playing through that as well.


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## MatthewWeflen (Jan 24, 2019)

Triplets said:


> Is that the Brilliant Classics set? I just bought that from Presto as well and was listening to it well into the night. My favorite is the 3rd Concerto with the middle movement that is one of the Nocturnes. I dug out my recording of Fields Nocturnes on the now defunct Telarc label and will be playing through that as well.


Yes, for some reason their YouTube video has a different cover. I much prefer the one on the Presto download.









I'm really quite amazed by the consistent level of quality Brilliant can manage with their sets at such low prices. I finished the Saint-Saens Piano Concertos (Gabriel Tacchino/Orchestra of Radio Luxembourg) set last night and it was also quite well done. I am starting the Mendelssohn Piano Quartets (Quartetto Klimt) set tonight, and from my listening to No. 1 it is also going to be great. And their Schubert String Quartet collection (Diogenes Quartet) is already in my regular rotation, with mind-blowing sound quality.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

MatthewWeflen said:


> Yes, for some reason their YouTube video has a different cover. I much prefer the one on the Presto download.
> 
> View attachment 158193
> 
> ...


Try their Allan set. I am also enjoying the Dvorak String Quartet set


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## MatthewWeflen (Jan 24, 2019)

Triplets said:


> Try their Allan set. I am also enjoying the Dvorak String Quartet set


I have been listening through the Dvorak String Quartets set over the past few nights. Tonight will be No. 8.

I have purchased quite a large number of Brilliant chamber releases during this sale. Mendelssohn, Schumann, Field, Farrenc, Borodin, Beethoven, Liszt, Hindemith, Penderecki, Saint-Saens, Wranitzky..... a lot.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

SONNET CLV said:


> Indeed, there's a bountiful harvest of good music from this Field.


More korn than gold


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## bluto32 (Apr 25, 2015)

John Field's piano concertos are indeed wonderful. Both the Brilliant set discussed above and the Chandos set (the latter of which I own and cherish) are on sale at Presto at bargain prices:


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