The names of Romantic composers John Field (1782-1837) and Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) are not often as closely linked as those of Field and Chopin (the latter's Nocturnes having been inspired by the former's), yet as masters of early Romantic piano music they travel very well together indeed. John Field was born in Dublin, the son of a violinist, but moved with his family to London in 1793, perhaps taking violin lessons from Haydn's friend Salomon. He became an apprentice of Clementi, appearing in a series of important London concerts, and later touring widely. After concerts in Russia, he remained in St Petersburg, where he became a fashionable teacher and performer, moving to Moscow in 1821. Illness brought him, in 1831, to London again, a visit followed by a continental tour and a final return to Moscow, where he died. Although Field wrote seven piano concertos and a series of chamber compositions for piano and strings, his chief claim on posterity lies in his eighteen Nocturnes. These 'night pieces' feature song-like melodies over arpeggiated accompaniments whose moods are often lyrical and dreamy. Felix Mendelssohn, grandson of the distinguished Jewish thinker Moses Mendelssohn, was born in Hamburg, the son of a banker. The family moved to Berlin, where Mendelssohn was brought up, able to associate with a cultured circle of family friends. He was associated with the revival of public interest in the music of J.S. Bach and in the early 1830s travelled abroad for his ed ATTENTION: please remember that all Blu-Rays are Region A USA and all DVDs Region 1 USA and you will need a multi region Blu-Ray/DVD player to play them.