Presentations by Ane Marthe Sørlien Holen, Edvard Haraldsen Valberg and Bart van Oort.
Mingling and refreshments in Room 139 after the presentations, until ca. 8:00 PM.
by Bart van Oort.
The Nocturnes by the Irish pianist and composer John Field had such a profound influence on countless composers from all over Europe that the Nocturne became a genre piece for generations to come. Most of Field’s work was already available in print before 1825, the year that Chopin's opus 1 was published and also the year of publication of the first Nocturne by another composer, Maria Szymanowska. Chopin’s earliest Nocturnes are dated 1826-1831. On February 26, 1832, Chopin made his debut in Paris. He described his success in a letter: "Accomplished artists take lessons from me and link my name to that of Field." Soon, the art of the Nocturne was taken up in every musical center in Europe by practically every composer of note, and by countless composers of lesser repute. In France, Germany, Russia, and Poland, hundreds of works were printed and performed. The Nordic countries were not excluded from this unstoppable romantic wave: romanticism was celebrated with a Nocturne production comparable to Poland, Italy, or Russia. Who – besides Grieg - were these Nordic Nocturne composers? How do their works relate to the rest of Europe?
Published: Jan 7, 2026 — Last updated: Jan 7, 2026