John Field, the 19th-century Irish composer, is credited with inventing the nocturne as a genre of gentle, tranquil piano pieces. His works, composed in St Petersburg where he settled after a trip with his mentor Muzio Clementi, were inspired by the city's long, luminous summer nights. Field's Nocturnes feature a slow, lyrical melody in the right hand with a rippling accompaniment, designed to evoke a peaceful evening mood.
Fast forward to the 21st century, and the concept of sleep music has found a modern champion in Max Richter. His album 'Sleep', an eight-hour composition intended as a lullaby, currently holds the No 2 spot in the official classical artist albums chart, 11 years after its release. The piece has been performed globally, with audiences provided with camp beds, blankets and pillows, serenaded through the night by live musicians.
Richter's work taps into a long history of music used to aid sleep, from ancient lullabies to instrumental nocturnes. Unlike lullabies, which often carry underlying anguish in their lyrics, sleep music is purely instrumental, allowing listeners to connect freely with the abstract sounds. Field's Nocturnes, with their serene and delicate character, are a direct precursor to this modern genre.
Field's influence extended beyond his own time, inspiring composers like Chopin, who expanded the nocturne form to include stormy and passionate moods, and later figures such as Gabriel Fauré and Erik Satie. Satie's restrained piano works, in particular, paved the way for minimalist and ambient composers, including Richter, whose 'Sleep' continues the tradition of music designed for rest and reflection.
