This Companion is an accessible introduction to Schumann: his time, his temperament, his style and his œuvre. An international team of scholars explores the cultural context, musical and poetic fabric, sources of inspiration and interpretative reach of key works from the Schumann repertoire ranging from his famous lieder and piano pieces to chamber, orchestral and dramatic works. Additional chapters address Schumann's presence in nineteenth- and twentieth-century composition and the fascinating reception history of his late works. Tables, illustrations, a detailed chronology and advice on further reading make it an ideally informative handbook for both the Schumann connoisseur and the music lover. An excellent textbook for the university student of courses on key composers of nineteenth-century Western Classical music, it is an invaluable guide for all who are interested in the thought, aesthetics and affective power of one of the most intriguing figures of a culturally rich and formative period.
Lindeman, a musicologist, traces and defines the historical development of the concerto form as it passed from Mozart to succeeding generations. He then assesses Beethoven's contributions, and examines the classical model of the form in the early 19th century by overviewing several early romantic composers' works. Subsequent chapters analyze and assess the responses of five precursers of Schumann, whose work offers a synthesis of radical experiments and traditional tenets. He concludes by suggesting that concertos of Lizst offer a road into further developments of the genre in the second half of the century. Illustrated with bandw portraits of composers and excerpts from musical scores. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Expertly arranged Piano Duet by Robert Schumann from the Kalmus Edition series. This Piano Duet (2 Pianos, 4 Hands) is from the Romantic era and requires 2 copies needed for performance.
New Urtext Edition by Michael Musgrave Schumann's Piano Concerto traces its origins, through the first movement, to a single-movement Phantasie in A minor for piano and orchestra which was completed in May 1841 (his symphonic year) and revised at the beginning of 1843. Clara Schumann, who had long wanted a major work for piano and orchestra from Schumann, played through the Phantasie with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra in 1841 but, although she played it again in 1843, it was never publicly performed, nor a publisher found, even though they were both happy with the work. In the summer of 1845 in Dresden, where they had now moved, Schumann revised the Phantasie and added a second and third movement to form what is described on the surviving manuscript of the full score as Concerto for piano . . . with accompaniment . . .. It was premiered on 4 December 1845 at a special Clara Schumann concert with Dresden musicians, independent of the regular subscription concerts, conducted by their friend and supporter Ferdinand Hiller, the dedicatee. The performance was critically successful, and a second performance was arranged at the more prestigious Leipzig Gewandhaus at the 11th subscription concert on New Year's Day 1846, under its conductor Mendelssohn. This performance was an even greater success than the first, and quickly established itself as a repertory work. Schumann made corrections to the orchestral parts for the performance he conducted with Clara at the Lower Rhine Music Festival in May 1853. The history of the work is dominated by Clara Schumann's promotion of it over a period of 40 years or so. Robert Schumann never played the work, since he had given up public performance by the time of its composition. All evidence is that Clara played it to his great satisfaction, and it was obviously meant for her. This Urtext edition by Schumann scholar Michael Musgrave contains a preface in English, German and Frenc
Offering a concise introduction to one of the most important and influential piano concertos in the history of Western music, this handbook provides an example of the productive interaction of music history, music theory and music analysis. It combines an account of the work's genesis, Schumann's earlier, unsuccessful attempts to compose in the genre and the evolving conception of the piano concerto evident in his critical writing with a detailed yet accessible analysis of each movement, which draws on the latest research into the theory and analysis of nineteenth-century instrumental forms. This handbook also reconstructs the Concerto's critical reception, performance history in centres including London, Vienna, Leipzig and New York, and its discography, before surveying piano concertos composed under its influence in the century after its completion, including well-known concertos by Brahms, Grieg, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov, as well as lesser-known music by Scharwenka, Rubinstein, Beach, Macdowell and Stanford.
A fascinating history of the piano explored through 100 pieces chosen by one of the UK's most renowned concert pianists "Tomes . . . casts her net widely, taking in chamber music and concertos, knotty avant-garde masterworks and (most welcome) jazz."--Richard Fairman, Financial Times, "Best Books of 2021: Classical Music" "[One of] the most beautiful books I got my hands on this year. . . . About the shaping of this maddening, glorious, unconquerable instrument."--Jenny Colgan, Spectator, "Books of the Year" An astonishingly versatile instrument, the piano allows just two hands to play music of great complexity and subtlety. For more than two hundred years, it has brought solo and collaborative music into homes and concert halls and has inspired composers in every musical genre--from classical to jazz and light music. Charting the development of the piano from the late eighteenth century to the present day, pianist and writer Susan Tomes takes the reader with her on a personal journey through 100 pieces including solo works, chamber music, concertos, and jazz. Her choices include composers such as Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Robert Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Debussy, Gershwin, and Philip Glass. Looking at this history from a modern performer's perspective, she acknowledges neglected women composers and players including Fanny Mendelssohn, Maria Szymanowska, Clara Schumann, and Amy Beach.
