Robert Schumann is 200! One of the most influential composers of the 19th century, Robert Schumann was born on June 8, 2010 in Zwickau, Saxony. He started writing about music when he was 14, before he began composing, and he continued fusing musical and literary ideas for the rest of his creative life. Until the age of 30 he wrote exclusively for the piano (he remains one of the most important composers in the history of piano music), but later composed several wonderful song cycles, symphonies, concertos and chamber works.
We’ll first hear one of Schumann’s earliest works, Papillons, Op. 2, performed by the pianist Tanya Gabrielian. Then Dinara Nadzhafova (piano) plays Toccata in C Major. Soprano Hyunah Yu sings Widmung (she’s accompanied by Alon Goldstein). We follow with a sample of Schumann’s late work for the violin, his Fantasie in C Major for Violin and Piano, Op. 131. It is performed by Jennifer Koh (Violin) and Reiko Uchida (Piano). We finish with the great Abbey Simon playing Arabesque. To listen, click here.
June 7, 2010
Robert Schumann is 200! One of the most influential composers of the 19th century, Robert Schumann was born on June 8, 2010 in Zwickau, Saxony. He started writing about music when he was 14, before he began composing, and he continued fusing musical and literary ideas for the rest of his creative life. Until the age of 30 he wrote exclusively for the piano (he remains one of the most important composers in the history of piano music), but later composed several wonderful song cycles, symphonies, concertos and chamber works.
We’ll first hear one of Schumann’s earliest works, Papillons, Op. 2, performed by the pianist Tanya Gabrielian. Then Dinara Nadzhafova (piano) plays Toccata in C Major. Soprano Hyunah Yu sings Widmung (she’s accompanied by Alon Goldstein). We follow with a sample of Schumann’s late work for the violin, his Fantasie in C Major for Violin and Piano, Op. 131. It is performed by Jennifer Koh (Violin) and Reiko Uchida (Piano). We finish with the great Abbey Simon playing Arabesque. To listen, click here.