John Field of Dublin Inventor of the Nocturne. A Brief Memoir Written by Grattan Flood. Dublin: Martin Lester, [1920]. Pp, 28, uncut. Frontispiece portrait. Original brown wrappers, title label printed in green on upper cover, upper section of spine detached but holding firmly; a nice bright copy of this of this scarce work.

Limited edition of 450 Numbered Copies.

A tribute to one of Ireland’s most influential yet often overlooked musical figures, John Field (17821837).

John Field was a Dublin-born pianist and composer who pioneered the nocturne, a lyrical, dreamlike piano form later perfected by Chopin. Trained in London under Muzio Clementi, he spent most of his career in Russia, earning fame as a virtuoso. Despite his European renown, Field’s Irish origins were often marginalized in music histories—a gap Grattan Flood seeks to address. Later scholars have built on (and corrected) Flood’s work, but his effort to reclaim Field for Ireland was pioneering.

The Booklet was designed by Colm O’Lochlainn, founder of The Three Candles Press.