Introduction
John Field (1782-1837) was an Irish composer admired by both Chopin and Liszt, who may be considered the ‘father’ of the great piano tradition of Russia. His legendary and enviable silken touch at the piano changed the way the instrument was played all over Europe.
JOHN Field made his Dublin debut as a pianist in 1792, aged ten, and a year later was whisked off to London and apprenticed to Muzio Clementi, building and demonstrating pianos in Clementi’s showrooms.
Following an accomplished performance of his own Piano Concerto in E flat in the King’s Theatre, London, when just sixteen, a glittering career beckoned. In 1802 it took him to Paris, St Petersburg and Moscow, where he settled from 1806, moving to St Petersburg in 1812. When not distracted by champagne, Havana cigars, and female company, Field excelled as a teacher, and the pianists of Russia and Western Europe flocked to him, coveting the Irishman’s silken touch and ability to make a piano sing.
Following another European tour, declining health brought Field’s public career to a close in 1835, and he died in Moscow two years later. But already he had changed the musical taste of a generation, and composers from Chopin to Mussorgsky have kept us in his debt ever since.
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Word Games
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Apprentice. Debt. Demonstrate.
2 Bring. Build. Sing.
3 But. His. Take.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Homonyms Find in Think and Speak
Each of the words below has more than one possible meaning. Compose your own sentences to show what those different meanings are.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Keep. 2. Change. 3. Flat. 4. Own. 5. Just. 6. Close.
Subject and Object Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in two sentences, first as the subject of a verb, and then as the object of a verb. It doesn’t have to be the same verb: some verbs can’t be paired with an object (e.g. arrive, happen), so watch out for these.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Ability. 2. Career. 3. Female. 4. Keep. 5. Piano. 6. Close. 7. Tour. 8. Year. 9. Teacher.
Variations: 1.use your noun in the plural (e.g. cat → cats), if possible. 2.give one of your sentences a future aspect (e.g. will, going to). 3.write sentences using negatives such as not, neither, nobody and never.
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
cns (8+2)
canes. canoes. cans. coins. cones. cons. icons. oceans.
conies. coons.
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