Building a Collection #48: Schumann's Piano Concerto

With recommended recordings

Building a Collection #48

Piano Concerto in A major, Op. 54

Robert Schumann

Note: I don’t have access to some of my editing tools at the moment, so I apologize for names which are missing accent marks of umlauts.

“To send light into the darkness of men’s hearts – such is the duty of the artist.”

-Robert Schumann

Welcome back!  I am thrilled you have chosen to spend time with me reading about the great composers and the best classical works ever composed.  We have reached #48 on our way to covering the top 250 classical works of all-time.  At #48 we encounter German composer Robert Schumann for the first time on the list with his lyrical, romantic, and beautiful Piano Concerto in A major.  Premiered in 1845, in my opinion this is Schumann’s greatest work and one which has charmed audiences for over 175 years. 

Robert Schumann

There is the stereotype of the tortured artist who is in constant torment due to artistic frustrations, other people, or the world in general.  Sometimes this stereotype is associated with mental illness (think Vincent van Gogh).  In the case of German composer Robert Schumann (1810 – 1856) the stereotype also fits well.  Schumann is from the early to middle Romantic era in classical music, and he wrote for piano, voice, chamber music, orchestra, chorus, and opera. 

As a young man Schumann nearly pursued a career in law rather than music, but music kept calling to him.  Although he was a gifted pianist he developed a problem with his right hand and so thereafter focused primarily on composing (there is some speculation Schumann injured his hand using a finger-stretching device favored by pianists of the time, but another theory was he may have suffered from dystonia, a neuro-muscular condition not uncommon with musicians). Major early works written between 1834-1838 were for solo piano including some that remain core repertoire today:  Carnaval, Fantasiestucke (Fantasy Pieces), Kreisleriana, and Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood).  Schumann was also the co-founder of the Neue Zeitschrift fur Musik (New Musical Journal) in 1834, a publication he edited for ten years. 

One aspect of Schumann’s writing and music was his belief that he had a sort of split personality between a more spontaneous, impetuous side and a more gentle, poetic side.  He dubbed the former “Florestan” (one of the main characters from Beethoven’s opera Fidelio) and the latter “Eusebius” (perhaps after the ancient biblical scholar Eusebius of Caesarea?), and these dual personalities would be a theme throughout his lifetime.  This will be relevant to our discussion of Schumann’s Piano Concerto below.

Schumann would marry Clara Wieck in 1840, the daughter of his piano teacher Friedrich Wieck, despite the fervent opposition of her father.  He would subsequently compose very productively for several years, and from this time would come the song cycles Frauenliebe und Leben (Woman’s Love and Life) and Dichterliebe (Poet’s Love), as well as his First Symphony in 1841.  After came several of his chamber works as well as his only opera Genoveva (which was not a success).  It was also during the 1840s that Schumann began to suffer from a series of physical and mental health challenges which greatly impacted his work.  The family moved to Dusseldorf in 1850 as Schumann was named the city’s music director, and the hope was this would give them more financial security.  Unfortunately, Schumann’s difficulties with his natural shyness and worsening mental health forced him to resign after only three years. 

In 1853 Schumann met the great composer Johannes Brahms whose music Schumann had lauded in the music journal.  For his part, it seems Brahms did not feel the same about Schumann’s music but was very fond of him personally.  But shortly thereafter Schumann’s worsening depression led him to a suicide attempt, throwing himself into the Rhine River.  He was rescued and was institutionalized at a sanitorium where he lived for two more years.  Tragically, he died there at the age of 46.  Schumann’s rapid decline and cause of death have also been the subject of quite a bit of controversy with theories ranging from latent syphilis to pneumonia to brain atrophy as the result of congenital bipolar disorder.  In any case Schumann’s suffering and death is one of the great tragedies in classical music history.

During his lifetime Schumann was mostly known for his solo piano works and songs, many of which contained programmatic or subtle story lines embedded in the music.  While some of his music has been criticized, particularly his orchestral music, his influence on other composers to follow has been immense.  Composers such as Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, Arnold Schoenberg, George Bizet, Gabriel Faure, Claude Debussy, and Maurice Ravel credited Schumann with influencing their work, as well as major Russian composers such as Anton Rubinstein and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.  English composer Edward Elgar called Schumann “my ideal”, and there can be little doubt Edvard Grieg’s own Piano Concerto owes much of its development to Schumann’s concerto…just listen to the similar openings and themes. 

Schumann’s wife Clara was an accomplished pianist in her own right, as well as a composer.  Indeed, in recent years Clara has gained much more notoriety as a composer and there are books written about her influence on Robert.  In the latter part of the nineteenth century there was a lot of conflict in the musical world between those that supported music in the classic German tradition (people such as Brahms, Clara Schumann, violinist Joseph Joachim, and music critic Eduard Hanslick) and adherents of a more modern movement using chromatic harmonies and more programmatic material (such as Richard Wagner, Franz Liszt, conductor Hans von Bulow, and music critic Bernard Shaw).  Of course today we recognize the value of both schools of thought. 

Piano Concerto in A major

Before marrying Clara, Schumann had focused primarily on writing for piano and voice.  It is important to note it was Clara that encouraged her husband to try composing works such as concertos and symphonies.  She wrote in a letter to him in 1939, “Don’t take it amiss if I tell you that I’ve been seized by the desire to encourage you to write for orchestra.  Your imagination and your spirit are too great for the weak piano.”  Schumann began work on what would eventually become the concerto in 1941, at that time it was only conceived of as a one-movement “fantasy”.  It wasn’t until 1845 that he added the slow movement and finale to make it a complete three-movement concerto. 

Not only did Clara inspire Schumann to extend it into a concerto, but she had written her own concerto in A minor completed in 1835 with a finale partially orchestrated by her husband.  Indeed, it appears Schumann borrowed part of a theme from Clara’s finale for his own first movement.  Even though Schumann finally finished the concerto in July 1845, almost immediately he collapsed from exhaustion and anxiety, being forced to cancel appearances and concerts.  However, he was able to be present at the premiere in Dresden with Clara as the soloist and Ferdinand Hiller conducting. 

The concerto follows a standard concerto outline of the period, though the second movement Intermezzo leads directly into the Finale without a break.  Here are the movements:

I.                    Allegro affettuoso

II.                 Intermezzo. Andantino grazioso

III.               Allegro vivace

John Mangum, program annotator for the L.A.  Philharmonic, describes the movements:

“The Concerto opens with the revised version of the 1841 Fantasy. The movement adheres loosely to the strictures of the sonata-allegro form (exposition-development-recapitulation), but it also retains the free-wheeling character of the original Fantasy (the A-flat andante between the exposition and the development is a good example of this). After a long cadenza that challenges the soloist’s expressive and technical abilities, the movement ends with a martial coda.

The brief intermezzo slow movement relaxes the tension after the vigorous close of the allegro. Schumann surrounds pointed, crystalline writing for the piano in a dream-like haze of strings in a movement that is among his most purely beautiful creations. This frames a central section comprised of a dialogue for the soloist and the cellos.

The intermezzo leads directly into the finale without a pause. The movement’s opening theme is a major-key reworking of the first movement’s main theme, its nobility nicely contrasted with the more playful character of the syncopated second theme. As in the first movement, Schumann approaches form with great freedom, with a new theme introduced by oboes and piano later in the finale. A long coda, impulsive and irresistible, ends Schumann’s Concerto, one of the most accomplished and unique in the repertory, with three minutes of unadulterated perfection.”

Critical reception to the concerto was almost immediately enthusiastic.  Clara wrote after the premiere: “…how rich in invention, how interesting from the beginning to the end, how fresh and what a beautiful coherent whole!”  While she may have been biased, the concerto has proven to be exactly what she describes.  The newspapers and music journals were nearly unanimous in praising the freshness and ingenuity of the concerto.

Remember Schumann’s split personalities of Florestan and Eusebius discussed earlier?  The first movement and its development are seen as a conflict between the two characters, with the soft theme introduced by the oboe after the beginning representing the dreamy, softer Eusebius while the recurring boisterous and more rhythmically tight passages represent Florestan.  But the main theme from the oboe which is echoed on the piano is that of Eusebius.  While the second movement Intermezzo is gentler and dreamier like Eusebius, you might say Florestan wins out in the third movement Allegro vivace.  It has been pointed out what a tremendously uplifting and life-enhancing concerto this is, especially given Schumann’s ongoing depression and anxiety. 

Essential Recordings

There is no shortage of outstanding recordings of Schumann’s Piano Concerto, in fact there are too many.  What I have done, as I did with other recent entries, is to pare things down as much as possible.  Even so, there are two essential recordings of this masterpiece and many other recommended versions.  A few of my biases:  I should admit a little preference of mine with this piece is if the two trumpet triplets are not heard clearly in the first movement in the initial big development climax (usually around four to five minutes in), that is disqualifying for the recommended list.  In some recordings you cannot hear them at all, or sometimes barely hear them, and they simply must be heard.  For me it's a pet peeve when brass cannot be heard at all.  I also cannot abide funereal tempos in the outside movements.

The first essential recording of this evergreen concerto is from the late Czech pianist Ivan Moravec, specifically the recording he made in 1977 with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra led by the great Czech conductor Vaclav Neumann made for the Supraphon label (the Idagio streaming service seems to not carry many Supraphon recordings anymore, but it can be found on Spotify).  This recording was a revelation, and has led me to check out other Moravec recordings.  First, this is somewhat at the opposite end of the spectrum from the Argerich (below) in the sense that Moravec and Neumann take their time more and relish the lyrical moods as they go along and are less assertive.  Moravec was especially known for his Chopin, and the great touch he shows on the keyboard is wonderfully evident here as well.  While it may be true that the Intermezzo is taken slower than an andantino, when it sounds this glorious you can hardly complain.  The entire conception of the work, tempos, moods, phrasing, sensitivity, and style are all brought together brilliantly here to create a vision of this work that is the definition of tasteful and thoughtful.  The first movement is broader and more introverted than many, but I find this completely convincing.  Moravec’s dynamics on the piano are touching and connect in an emotional way.  Moravec finds the poetry in the music better than any version out there I know, and his control is stunning.  Special mention goes to Vaclav Neumann and the Czech orchestra for their splendid contributions, particularly the woodwinds and their interplay with the soloist.  The more dramatic moments are also delivered marvelously from soloist and orchestra.  Neumann never lets Moravec become too ponderous.  The Intermezzo is often taken too fast in my opinion, but here it is given its due as Moravec’s tone is delightfully reflective.  The transition into the last movement is extraordinary in its delicacy.  The finale takes a backseat to nobody in terms of panache, playfulness, and power and it is again worth mentioning Moravec’s exceptional touch and sensitivity.    

The sound is also a marvel, better than on most recent releases with just a touch of thinness on top.  The orchestra is relatively forward in the picture, but the piano itself is balanced well.  I could happily live on the proverbial desert island with this one.            

The other essential recording is from the world’s greatest living pianist in my opinion, Martha Argerich, together with the late Nikolaus Harnoncourt and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe recorded in 1994 for Teldec (now Warner).  Argerich (now 83) has always been quite selective about the pieces she plays, and the Schumann has consistently been one of her favorite concertos to play and record.  She has recorded it commercially at least four times, and there are several other live recordings from various sources.  Her interpretations of the concerto have been consistent as she essentially takes an extrovert view of the work.  The best of her recordings, and the best sounding, is with Harnoncourt.  The pairing of two of the most dynamic classical musicians of the past few decades turns out to be a great move, as they create excitement together from the first note.  Argerich moves the pulse forward in the outer movements, while backing off creating a gentle and lyrical atmosphere with the Intermezzo.  Harnoncourt is willing to let Argerich lead, and the virtuosic and nimble Chamber Orchestra of Europe keeps up very well. 

The sound is placed forward, so there the piano and orchestra occasionally sound aggressive in louder passages.  For me this works, but some may find it too much.  This is a tremendously exciting account, and Argerich is especially daring in the faster finger work passages, creating a truly thrilling listening experience.  Her vast experience with the concerto shows too, as this is a completely assured and confident account.  Harnoncourt in later years would become rather eccentric and out of the mainstream, but on this occasion he is right on target.  Even though Harnoncourt came from the baroque and classical world, he shows he could be equally adept with the Romantics (around the same time he would record a terrific Brahms symphony cycle with the Berlin Philharmonic also on Teldec/Warner).  Speeds are quicker than traditional accounts, but not extremely so.  The sound is first class, although as I mentioned rather forward in the overall picture.       

Recommended Recordings

Because this work has been so well served by recordings, and there are so many to recommend, I have tried to keep my summaries below as brief as possible.

The earliest recording of the concerto that did the work full justice and then some was by the great Romanian pianist Dinu Lipatti joined by the Philharmonia Orchestra and Herbert von Karajan, a recording made for EMI/Warner in 1948.  This is a special recording which brought together Lipatti, especially known for his interpretations of romantic composers such as Chopin, and the more classically attuned Karajan before he became a household name.  The push and pull between the two enhances the drama, and the tempos are quick for the time.  The performance grabs you and is captivating from beginning to end, and one will forgive the dated sound.  Lipatti would tragically die at the age of 33 from effects related to Hodgkin’s disease.

As I’ve written about previously, Russian/Soviet pianist Sviatoslav Richter was certainly one of the greatest pianists of the twentieth century.  His 1958 recording of the Schumann concerto with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Witold Rowicki for Deutsche Grammophon remains one of the most exciting accounts ever put down.  Richter’s approach is akin to Argerich with a more assertive and direct style, but somewhat less emotional.  The piano and orchestra are captured wonderfully, if a bit forward in the balance. 

A real surprise in my survey was the 1960 recording by American pianist Eugene Istomin together with the Columbia Symphony Orchestra and the legendary Bruno Walter now available on Sony.  I had only known Istomin from his great chamber music recordings with Isaac Stern and Leonard Rose.  But his solo recordings are also compelling, and this one is especially good.  Istomin tells the story of how the recording was supposed to be with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic, but the producer thought it would sell more records to pair Bernstein with Glenn Gould (more famous at the time).  For his part Bruno Walter rarely conducted concertos in concert or on recordings, but after hearing a tape of Istomin immediately agreed to do the recording.  Istomin reports Walter was very easy to work with and said to Istomin in German that he found the recording “streng aber frei” (powerful but free).  Indeed there is a spontaneity to the orchestra in particular, and Istomin is every bit as impressive as any other soloist on this list.  More recording projects were planned with Istomin and Walter, but sadly Walter passed away in 1962.

Recently in the post on Beethoven’s Emperor I recommended Leon Fleisher’s recording with the Cleveland Orchestra and George Szell.  It turns out the same team’s recording of the Schumann’s concerto from 1960 on Columbia (Sony) is just as winning and still sounds fresh after all these years.  Fleisher was a Szell favorite and they collaborated a lot in those years, and the blend of Szell’s direct style of communication with Fleisher’s more flexible style worked very well as we can hear in this performance.  Sonics are dated, but perfectly listenable. 

Another American pianist making his mark in the 1960s was Byron Janis, and his 1962 Mercury recording (now owned by Decca) with the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra and conductor Stanislaw Skrowaczewski is notable for its warmth and detail despite the marginally boxy sound.  Janis’ touch was magical, and his ability to control the dynamics of the piano is unmatched.  While the Schumann concerto may not require the most virtuosic skills, Janis brings a depth of character revealing why at one time he was a giant among romantic pianists.  I’ve often thought Skrowaczewski was an underrated conductor and this is one of his finest moments on record.  Janis recorded the concerto earlier with Fritz Reiner in Chicago for RCA, but the nod goes to this one on Mercury.

Yet another American pianist who grew up a musical prodigy was Julius Katchen and he recorded the Schumann concerto for Decca in 1962 with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra led by Istvan Kertesz.  Regrettably both Katchen and Kertesz would be taken from us too young (Katchen from cancer and Kertesz in a drowning).  This recording was another surprise from my survey, as I was not aware of it.  Katchen’s playing is elegant and magisterial delivered with a light touch when needed.  Kertesz left us some terrific recordings of the Dvorak and Brahms symphonies, and here he proves to be a superb partner for Katchen.  I like how he gives the music room to breathe and allows Katchen to weave his lyricism, while he is also able to whip up a lot of steam when appropriate. A strong performance which should not be overlooked.

The formidable team of Austrian-American pianist Rudolf Serkin and Hungarian-American conductor Eugene Ormandy and his fabulous Philadelphia Orchestra recorded Schumann’s concerto several times, the finest being from 1964 for Columbia (Sony).  Serkin employed a lean tone and inflected phrasing, and of course he is accompanied by Ormandy leading a full and robust orchestra.  For years this account was the standard bearer for the work, and it still sounds great.  Serkin’s older accounts show he had a consistent interpretation of the work, but the sonics on this most recent one are far better.  Serkin was rightly known for his Beethoven and Mozart, but his classically shaped Schumann is also highly recommended.   

A few years ago Sony put out a boxed set of recordings from the late Brazilian pianist Nelson Freire and almost hidden in the set is his superb Schumann concerto from 1969 with the Munich Philharmonic and their long time conductor Rudolf Kempe.  Freire was known especially for his Chopin and Brahms interpretations, but here he brings an unusually sensitive and lyrical approach to Schumann.  Freire and Kempe are in no hurry, allowing the listener to revel in the melodies and yet there is also an infectious spring when called for by the music.  Freire playing has a sparkling quality, and the Munich band are captured in very good analog stereo.  This has been one of my favorites from the first time I heard it.

The late semi-reclusive Romanian pianist Radu Lupu was respected as one of the greatest musicians of his generation, and his 1973 recording of the Schumann concerto with Andre Previn and the London Symphony Orchestra for Decca is commanding and authoritative.  Lupu was a highly intelligent, thoughtful artist who had tremendous control of dynamics and tone shading.  This recording comes from the height of Previn’s time with the LSO and the Decca sound is terrific.  Lupu is impassioned but always in moderation, the climaxes are thrilling but the overall impression is Lupu always at the service of the music.

Even though Martha Argerich occupies one of the essential spots, she has recorded the Schumann concerto other times with great results.  Her 1980 live recording with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Kazimierz Kord on the Accord label boasts surprisingly good sound (if a bit harsh in spots), and it also features Argerich in fiery form blazing her way through in thrilling fashion.  Likewise Argerich’s live 2004 performance from the Lugano festival on Warner with the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana and conductor Alexandre Rabinovitch is superb, with Argerich walking a tightrope in places keeping everything together while maintaining the adrenaline of a live performance.  The orchestra is captured well, and this is another more than satisfying recording.

American pianist Murray Perahia recording of the Schumann concerto with Sir Colin Davis and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra comes from 1987 on the Sony label, and it remains one of the most recommendable recordings.  Perahia would later record it with Claudio Abbado and the Berlin Philharmonic, but this earlier recording is superior.  The sound is excellent from the early digital period.  Perahia’s attention to detail is admirable in terms of dynamics, phrasing, and his balance of the top and bottom lines of the music.  Davis recorded the concerto with several pianists, but this is the finest overall.  There is a forward momentum that is appealing, and you get the feeling everyone involved is fully enjoying the moment.  A triumph.

I have always enjoyed recordings from Canadian pianist Louis Lortie, and his 1991 effort with London’s Philharmonia Orchestra and conductor Neeme Jarvi on Chandos shines through as a full-blooded and exciting performance.  It is a visceral type of performance on the whole, with Lortie bringing a lot of imagination and little touches and Jarvi storming through the orchestral accompaniment with a Philharmonia that sounds rich and full.  I like the way Lortie brings out varying moods depending on what the music is saying, and his interplay with the woodwinds in the first movement is delightful.  The finale is a barnstormer, exciting and thrilling from first to last.  At one time the Chandos label was the undisputed leader in sound quality reproduction, and this recording comes from that general time.  In short, a terrific recording.

I was fortunate enough to see French pianist Helene Grimaud perform live some years ago in Boston, and it was a transporting experience.  She has recorded the Schumann concerto twice now, and both are recommended.  The first is from 1995 with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin led by David Zinman, a recording now on Warner.  As a younger pianist Grimaud brought a lot of energy and spontaneity to the work which I like, and her style for me is reminiscent of Argerich.  Zinman and his Berlin orchestra partner with her very well and in excellent sound.  More recently Grimaud recorded the work again, this time with the much smaller forces of the Camerata Salzburg under concertmaster Giovanni Guzzo in 2022 on the Deutsche Grammophon label.  Grimaud’s vision of the work has matured in terms of her expressiveness and her overall interpretation, but it is no less exciting.  The orchestra is pinpoint precise rhythmically and the smaller chamber forces are rather fleet in tempo.  The sound is warmer and perhaps less sharp than on the former recording, but still quite good.  Grimaud definitely has the measure of this concerto, and either recording is recommended.

British pianist and conductor Howard Shelley is one of the most interesting musicians on our list in that he has not been afraid to tackle some of the more neglected composers, and he has made quite a few critically acclaimed recordings of British composers’ piano concertos.  Here on a 2009 recording from Chandos he recorded the Schumann concerto with the orchestra from Opera North (Leeds, UK), with Shelley himself conducting from the keyboard.  It would be hard to find a fresher or more brilliantly played version than this one.  Speeds are on the faster side, especially at the beginning, but things moderate a bit thereafter.  The orchestra is on their toes bringing crisply sprung rhythms, and Shelley’s articulation is unusually clean and clear.  The Chandos recording quality is outstanding.  Very enjoyable. 

Finally for recommended recordings there is the 2016 recording featuring the young Canadian pianist Jan Lisiecki together with the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia (Rome) and their longtime conductor Sir Antonio Pappano on the Deutsche Grammophon label.  Although Lisiecki’s Beethoven concerto cycle fell flat for me, this Schumann version is the finest of recent years.  Recorded when Lisiecki was 20, it bears the marks of a young pianist in its exuberance but perhaps lacking the last ounce of poetic nuance.  Nonetheless, Lisiecki’s playing is infectious and when it is this imaginative, we might forgive some indulgence here and there.  I find Lisiecki well attuned to the works varying moods, and even if he doesn’t have the touch of Lupu or Lipatti, his interplay with the orchestra is touching and most effective in the second movement.  Pappano’s contribution is solid and the sound is generally good. 

Other Notable Recordings

Alfred Cortot / London Philharmonic Orchestra / Sir Landon Ronald (Naxos 1934)

Dame Myra Hess / Unknown Orchestra / Walter Goehr (APR 1937)

Walter Gieseking / Staatskapelle Dresden / Karl Bohm (Warner 1940)

Walter Gieseking / Berlin Philharmonic / Wilhelm Furtwangler (Andromeda 1942)

Solomon / The Philharmonia Orchestra / Herbert Menges (Profil 1956)

Friedrich Gulda / Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra / Volkmar Andreae (Decca 1956)

Arthur Rubinstein / RCA Victor Orchestra / Josef Krips (RCA 1958)

Annie Fischer / WDR Koln / Joseph Keilberth (Profil 1958)

Van Cliburn / Chicago Symphony Orchestra / Fritz Reiner (RCA 1960)

Shura Cherkassky / London Philharmonic Orchestra / Sir Adrian Boult (Profil 1962)

Geza Anda / Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra / Rafael Kubelik (DG 1963)

Claudio Arrau / Concertgebouw Orchestra / Christoph von Dohnanyi (Decca 1963)

Vladimir Ashkenazy / London Symphony Orchestra / Uri Segal (Decca 1978)

Martha Argerich / National Symphony Orchestra / Mstislav Rostropovich (DG 1978)

Krystian Zimerman / Berlin Philharmonic / Herbert von Karajan (DG 1981)

Maurizio Pollini / Berlin Philharmonic / Claudio Abbado (DG 1984)

Lars Vogt / City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra / Simon Rattle (Warner 1992)

Alicia de Larrocha / London Symphony Orchestra / Sir Colin Davis (RCA 1993)

Murray Perahia / Berlin Philharmonic / Claudio Abbado (Sony 1997)

Alfred Brendel / Vienna Philharmonic / Sir Simon Rattle (Decca 2001)

Leif Ove Andsnes / Berlin Philharmonic / Mariss Jansons (Warner 2003)

Janne Mertanen / Gavle Symphony Orchestra / Hannu Koivula (Alba 2014)

Stephen Hough / City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra / Andris Nelsons (Hyperion 2014)

Ingrid Fliter / Scottish Chamber Orchestra / Antonio Mendez (Linn 2015)

Martin Stadtfeld / Halle Orchestra / Sir Mark Elder (Sony 2015)

Beatrice Rana / Chamber Orchestra of Europe / Yannick Nezet-Seguin (Warner 2022)

We reach the end of our survey of Schumann’s Piano Concerto.  You may be as relieved as I am!  But I really love this concerto and I hope you have found something here to chew on. 

Join me next time when the topic is Maurice Ravel’s masterpiece Daphnis et Chloe.  See you then!

_________________

Notes:

Batka, Richard. Schumann. Leipzig:  Reclam. 1891.

Chissell, Joan. Schumann (5^th Ed.). London: Dent. 1989.

Daverio, John. Robert Schumann: Herald of a New Poetic Age.  New York and Oxford:  Oxford University Press.  1997.

Daverio, John. Sams, Eric. “Schumann, Robert”. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Vol. 22. London: Macmillan. 2000.

Dowley, Tim. Schumann: His Life and Times. Neptune City:  Paganiniana. 1982.

Finson, Jon. Robert Schumann. Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard University Press. 2007.

Geck, Martin. Robert Schumann:  The Life and Work of a Romantic Composer.  Chicago:  University of Chicago Press. 2013.

Gerstmaier, August. Robert Schumann-Klavierkonzert a-Moll, op. 54.  Munich:  Wilhelm Fink Verlag. 1986.

Jensen, Eric Frederick. Schumann.  Oxford:  Oxford University Press. 2005.

Kapp, Reinhard. “Schumann in his time and since”.  Cambridge Companion to Schumann. Cambridge:  Cambridge University Press.  2007.

Mangum, John. Piano Concerto in A major. Robert Schumann. LA Phil website online at laphil.com. 

Marston, Philip. “Schumann’s heroes”.  Cambridge Companion to Schumann. Cambridge:  Cambridge University Press. 2007.

Meillat, Bernard. Interview with Eugene Istomin from 1987. Online at eugeneistomin.com. 

Ostwald, Peter. “Florestan, Eusebius, Clara, and Schumann’s Right Hand”.  19^th Century Music.  1980.

Rauchfleisch, Udo. Robert Schumann:  Werk und Leben. Stuttgart:  Kohlhammer. 1990.

Reich, Nancy B. Clara Schumann:  The Artist and the Woman.  Ithaca:  Cornell University Press. 1988.

Schafer, Hansjürgen.  Konzertbuch Orchestermusik. Leipzig:  VEB Deutscher Verlag fur Musik. 1958. 

Spitta, Philipp. “Schumann, Robert”. In Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians.  London. 1879.

Taylor, Ronald. Robert Schumann:  His Life and Work.  London. Panther. 1985.

Walker, Alan. Schumann. London. Faber and Faber.  1976.

Wasielewski, Wilhelm Joseph von. Robert Schumann:  eine Biographie. Dresden:  Kuntze. 1869. 

Van Gogh and Romanticizing the Tortured Artist. Postscript. March 4, 2019.

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