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 Nocturne follows no known form, nor does it develop a given theme. Instead, it sets 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.
Field's Nocturnes greatly influenced Chopin, who absorbed the emotional characteristics of the Nocturne style and used them to create his own unique expressive compositions.
Complete recording by Mark Nodine |
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Recorded in 2014 |
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| 1 | Nocturne No. 1 in E-flat Major, H 24 | 4:14 |
| 2 | Nocturne No. 2 in C minor, H 25 | 4:35 |
| 3 | Nocturne No. 3 in A-flat Major, H 26 | 3:06 |
| 4 | Nocturne No. 4 in A Major, H 36 | 5:00 |
| 5 | Nocturne No. 5 in B-flat Major, H 37 | 3:03 |
| 6 | Nocturne No. 6 in F Major, H 40 | 4:48 |
| 7 | Nocturne No. 7 in C Major, H 45 | 5:51 |
| 8 | Nocturne No. 8 in A Major, H 14 | 4:04 |
| 9 | Nocturne No. 9 in E-flat Major, H 30 | 3:04 |
| 10 | Nocturne No.10 in E minor, H 46 | 3:24 |
| 11 | Nocturne No.11 in E-flat Major, H 56 | 3:55 |
| 12 | Nocturne No.12 in G Major, H 58 | 3:07 |
| 13 | Nocturne No.13 in D minor, H 59 | 3:22 |
| 14 | Nocturne No.14 in C Major, H 60 | 7:18 |
| 15 | Nocturne No.15 in C Major, H 61 | 3:10 |
| 16 | Nocturne No.16 in F Major, H 62 | 4:26 |
| 17 | Nocturne No.17 in E Major, H 13 | 8:54 |
| 18 | Nocturne No.18 in E Major, H 54 | 4:48 |
