Recording Review #62: A Feeling for Field

 

Field: Complete Nocturnes. Alice Sara Ott, pianist. Deutsche Grammophon 486 623-8. 

The conventional wisdom on Irish composer John Field (1782-1837) is that, while his music itself may not be all that interesting, he was the 'Father of the Nocturne' and an important forerunner to much more imposing figures like Felix Mendelssohn and Frédéric Chopin. I won't dismiss this sentiment entirely, but I do want to stick up a bit for Field's Nocturnes specifically. It's true that they're mostly of a mild flavor compared with Chopin's. But let's be honest: whose aren't? Still, I wouldn't call them bland. At least, not most. All have a charming pleasantness that makes them worth an occasional airing. If nothing else they're a nifty aesthetic window into early 19th-century taste. But the best ones (among others Nos. 5, 11, 13, 15, and 16) are considerably more than just pleasant; they have moments of real intrigue. In the hands of the right performer, they can hold their own even in the company of the genre's more famous essays. 

And I have to say, Alice Sara Ott is definitely the right performer. More than a few interpretations of Field's Nocturnes sound uninspired. But Ott really seems to believe in these pieces. Her conviction makes the music punch above its weight. First, she achieves a silky smooth sound that wonderfully fits Field's trend-setting hallmark of the genre: alternatingly dreamy and languid moods. Actually, the cover of this album gives you a great visual equivalent. (Well done here, by the way! Many album covers leave me bored or annoyed. Not this one.) Concomitant with this is a treatment of melody that appreciably accentuates the most poignant turns of phrase. (Observe her handlings of the bel canto-like tune in No. 5, the pathos-tinged "rounding out" figure in No. 11, and the undulating main theme featured in No. 13.)

But Ott also meets the challenge of Field's other trend-setting hallmark of the nocturne: its occasional forays into inexplicable character states. The 16th Nocturne (in C Major), clocking in at over 8 minutes long, has several flights of fancy. Ott does a fine job of corralling its various guises (contemplative, sullen, passionate, humorful, dramatic, etc.) into a convincing whole. Similarly, the 17th Nocturne (also in C) pulls the performer out of the default languid/dreamy state and demands interpretive versatility. Ott is every bit up to the challenge, managing to sound suitably playful here without taking away from the gorgeous sound established at the outset. 

I'm a big fan of performers choosing repertoire that suits their gifts. Unfortunately this isn't always possible, due to financial or other incentives. But again, there's no question that Alice Sara Ott is a splendid fit for John Field's Nocturnes. Would that all slightly neglected (and/or slightly less respected) repertoire find such an advocate. 

Verdict: Highly Recommended