The week has been very interesting for me as I started my gear shift on my new job and started to explore new possibilities. It was also because of my job that necessitated me to re-connect with someone I know long time ago whom I know to be very passionate about classical music. After the business talk with him was done, I asked him where was he on the classical music front and told him that I have just written a review of Chopin Etudes earlier this week because this year is Chopin 200th year anniversary as he was born in 1810. He then asked me how about Robert Schumann and I said I love his music as well sad that he had a rough ride in life living part of his life being institutionalized in a mental asylum but he has Clara as his wife who stood by his side come what may and also a good friend Johannes Brahms. This was where we sort of disagreed, his took the view that Brahms was there more because of his love for Clara rather than for Schumann himself. Since the scholars cannot agree on this, we agreed to disagree. He then reminded me that this year is also Schumann 200th year anniversary but most probably forgotten because Chopin might have been a larger personality than Schumann. Since I love Schumann music as well, I shall help elevate it by writing about it and hopefully more people would notice it thereafter.
Schumann like Chopin love the piano. Whilst Chopin composed exclusively for the piano or pieces that involves the piano, Schumann likewise did the same until 1840 when he started to compose other genre. I previously wrote a review of his Symphony No. 4 and also noted then that Schumann was an avid composer of piano music.
I have always touted the maxim that one should listen to the complete work to appreciate the beauty of the entire composition and not listen to snippets of popular movements but I would have to break my own rule and start writing on a snippet here. The piece Träumerei or Dreaming is taken from the seventh piece of his Kinderszenen or Scenes from childhood Op 15 composed when he was about 28 so it must have been his re-collection of his childhood. This piece was made popular when it was adopted the theme song for the 1944 movie on Robert Schumann. It was titled by the film director as Song of Love to signify Clara's love for Schumann. Perhaps the director did it deliberately due to the movingly romantic hues of the piece or out of ignorance of the background of the piece.
Since then, the piece has appeared in various arrangements in addition to the original piano arrangements. Some of the arrangements that I have come across are cello/piano, violin/piano, orchestra/cello. The piano arrangement has also been graded as a grade 3 piece by ABRSM and therefore within the capabilities of most pianists.
1.Cello Adagios,Decca,Bruno Canino/Lynn Harrell,2:54 CD1 Track 9
2.Travels with my Cello,Philips,Julian Lloyd Webber, English Chamber Orchestra, Nicholas Cleobury,3:32 Track 4
3.Ultimate Violin,Decca,Arthur Gruimax,Istvan Hajdu, CD5 Track 4,2:33
4.Schumann: Piano Works,DG,Wilhelm Kempff, CD2 Track 20
Of the 4, I still like the 4th recording though it is dated and sonically not that great because of the state of technology then. It is clean, crisp and transparent. Wilhelm Kempff though a noted pianist during his era has been touted by some of his critic as being just average in terms of his Schumann pieces but I think most probably to this piece as it is a grade 3 piece and how wrong can a maestro go on such pieces. The version by Julian Lloyd Weber with the English Chamber Orchestra did not go down too well with me as the arrangement seems to be too cluttered as I feel that the beauty of this piece is in the clean and simplistic arrangement but played with lots of emotions and melancholy and it suits either a piano only arrangement or a violin/piano or cello/piano. In particular, I thought the cello/piano version by Bruno Canino and Lynn Harrell particularly melancholic.
Cheers,,,,,Peter Lye aka lkypeter
Safe Harbor. Please note that information contained in these pages are of a personal nature and does not necessarily reflect that of any companies, organizations or individuals. In addition, some of these opinions are of a forward looking nature. Lastly the facts and opinions contained in these pages might not have been verified for correctness, so please use with caution. Happy Reading. Peter Lye