Compared to his contemporaries like Stravinsky, the Russian composer Arthur Lourié has become nearly forgotten, though his compositions have much to offer.  A Phoenix Park Nocturne is the latter piece in a set of two, and is dedicated to the author James Joyce. The title of A Phoenix Park Nocturne is taken directly from Joyce's novel, Finnegans Wake. In the novel, Joyce dubbed the section that describes the falling of dusk on Phoenix Park (which houses the Dublin zoo), and how humans and the exotic animals prepare for the descent of darkness, "A Phoenix Park Nocturne". Joyce writes in an enigmatic way, and if he had not explained much of his wordplay and veiled imagery in his notes, much would have probably been lost to the reader.

Joyce's work appealed to Lourié, and Lourié's A Phoenix Park Nocturne is enigmatic in its own way. Arpeggiation of subtle chords is juxtaposed with a rhythm that is insistent and jumpy, and sections end abruptly without a clear formal structure. However, there is just enough in the music that tantalizes and keeps the ear, leaving the listener wondering long after the piece has finished.