Classical Music | Cello Music

Recorded on 07/01/2007, uploaded on 12/15/2011

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

Fantasy Pieces (Drei Fantasiestücke), op. 73       Robert Schumann

Zart und mit Ausdruck
Lebhaft, leicht
Rasch und mit Feuer

Originally intended for the clarinet, Schumann's Fantasiestücke, op. 73 are more often heard on cello. Composed in 1849, the three pieces of op. 73 fall in line with the many other fantasy-like pieces Schumann composed throughout his career. He was a wholehearted Romantic and a firm believer that the composer's unrestricted imagination was the prerequisite for ideal expression. What better form, then, than the fantasy—a form whose every detail was left to the fancy of the composer?

The first piece, in A minor and marked Zart und mit Ausdruck ("Tender and with expression"), begins with a flowing accompaniment of triplet arpeggios in the piano offset by a rising semitone motif full of repressed emotions. This inconspicuous motif becomes a major element throughout the piece, often coming to the fore when the solo line pauses. The melancholy gives way in the final bars to a peaceful conclusion in A major.

Embracing the newly found A major, the middle piece is more lively and energetic (Lebhaft, leicht). Its opening section is somewhat unsettling with the duple eighths of the solo line consistently set against triplets in the piano. The middle section modulates to the key of F major, beginning with chromatic triplets tossed between the soloist and piano. Soon, however, the solo line takes up a lyrical melody similar to the opening of the piece. A brief return is made to the opening section before a coda brings the piece to a quiet close.

Following the middle piece without pause, the finale begins with a fury of passion. Both soloist and accompanist are pushed to the limits as the piece progresses. Beginning with the unmistakable indication of Rasch und mit Feuer ("Quick and with fire"), Schumann demands more of his performers in the coda where twice he writes "Schneller," ("Quicker"). Reaching a frenzied pace, the finale comes to a spectacular close with fiery arpeggios in both parts.        Joseph DuBose

courtesy of the Steans Music Institute

The Steans Music Institute is the Ravinia Festival's professional studies program for young musicians.