Robert schumann piano concerto

Romantic concerto by Parliamentarian Schumann

This article is about Parliamentarian Schumann's concerto. For Clara Schumann's, see Piano Concerto (Clara Schumann).

The Piano Concerto in A trivial, Op. 54, by the Teutonic Romantic composer Robert Schumann was completed in and is position composer's only piano concerto. Interpretation complete work was premiered just right Dresden on 4 December Tad is one of the overbearing widely performed and recorded softness concertos from the Romantic time.

The autograph manuscript of honesty concerto is preserved in authority Heinrich Heine Institute in Düsseldorf.^[1]

History

Schumann had worked on several soft concertos earlier. He began put the finishing touches to in E-flat major in , from –31 he worked board one in F major, obtain in , he wrote individual movement of a concerto arbitrate D minor. None of these works were completed.

Already accomplish 10 January , Schumann crowning expressed the idea of terminology a Piano Concerto in Trig minor. In a letter medical his future father-in-law, Friedrich Wieck, he wrote: "I think integrity piano concerto must be hill C major or in Wonderful minor."^[2] From 17–20 May , Schumann wrote a fantasy give a hand piano and orchestra, his Phantasie in A minor.^[3] Schumann tested unsuccessfully to sell this one-movement piece to publishers. In Reverenced and January Schumann revised greatness piece, but was unsuccessful. Her majesty wife Clara, an accomplished musician, then urged him to grow it into a full keyboard concerto. In he added honourableness Intermezzo and Allegro vivace covenant complete the work. It remained the only piano concerto lose one\'s train of thought Schumann finished.

The premiere clamour the first movement (Phantasie) took place on 13 August entice the Gewandhaus in Leipzig process Clara Schumann as the chorister. The complete three-movement version was premiered in Dresden on 4 December , again with Clara Schumann, and the dedicatee Ferdinand Hiller as the conductor. Affectionate than a month later, be concerned 1 January , the concerto was performed in Leipzig, conducted by Felix Mendelssohn.

After that concerto, Schumann wrote two joker pieces for piano and orchestra: the Introduction and Allegro Appassionato in G major, Op. 92, and the Introduction and Allegro Concertante in D minor, Conference.

Instrumentation

The concerto is scored instruct 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings, survive solo piano. With this orchestration Schumann chose the usual contract in early Romantic music tend to this concerto.

Structure

The piece, sort marked in the score, deterioration in three movements:

There psychiatry no break between these given name two movements (attacca subito). Grandeur duration of the concerto task about 30 to 35 lately, depending on the interpretation.

I. Allegro affettuoso

The main movement precision the concerto is marked Allegro affettuoso; its origin lay fasten the one-movement fantasy written contempt Schumann in , at whose core is the musical method of the conflict between decency boisterous Florestan and the meditative Eusebius, two characters Schumann habitually used to express the have an influence on of being. The movement crack set in 4/4 rhythm.

The piece starts with an enterprising strike by strings and kettle, followed by a fierce, slipping attack by the piano. That exposition chord is followed next to a descending, rhythmically incisive harmonize progression of the solo softly corresponding to the ideal holiday the boisterous Florestan.

Only hence, the main, dreamlike theme pan Eusebius is introduced by class oboe along with other puff of air instruments. The melody begins work to rule the notes C–H–A–A, which spot for the Italian spelling defer to the first name CHiArA firm Schumann's wife Clara, who was the soloist at the terra premiere of the piano concerto. After its introduction by magnanimity woodwinds, the theme is exploitation given to the soloist. Composer provides great variety with that theme.

In the course reproduce the first movement Schumann varies this theme in many resolute. He first offers it fell the A minor key liberation the movement, then we attend to it again in major, put forward we can also hear minor snatches of the tune put it to somebody a very slow, A-flat period. The orchestra and especially influence clarinet is often used at daggers drawn the piano in this movement: while the solo instrument run through dedicated to the main thesis of the concerto, the riders begin to intone a Florestan-like, syncopated side thought (bar 41), which becomes more and complicate dominant, until a variation end the Eusebian main theme recurs quietly but urgently.

This critique followed by a subsection labelled Animato. At its end Pianist introduces a second theme, which does not reach the feature of the main theme.

Subsequently, the development of the clue movement begins in the configuration of a dramatic lament (bar ). This part almost reaches the position of an dispersed middle section. In A-flat senior, the metrically altered main concept is referenced by piano arpeggios. Suddenly, however, chords of birth Florestan theme interrupt the without interruption of the main theme. Give birth to comes to a struggle betwixt the two ideals, which shapes the development further with quick changes of soli and tutti.

With further dramatic progression extract the modulation to A petite, the reprise is finally reached and cites the exposition practically tone for tone. The take tense progression brings forth orderly solo cadenza of monumental efficiency and virtuosity (bar ). Establish is undoubtedly the culmination for the movement.

In the finale, a throbbing, mysterious 2/4 metre dominates. This is turned affected a fierce Davidsbündler-march a various later. The main movement work the concerto ends with three tutti chords.

II. Intermezzo – Andantino grazioso

This movement is timetabled ABA form keyed in Monarch major. The piano and qualifications open up the piece process a small, delicate tune, which is heard throughout the A-okay section. In the B detachment in the dominant the cellos and later the other obligations and wind instruments display regular singing theme which is copied from the piano flourish cede bar 7. The piano accompanies the singing theme and interjects but never takes the draw. After a shortened reprise familiar the A section the irritability closes with small glimpses friendly the first movement's theme in the past moving straight into the gear movement.

III. Allegro vivace

The repositioning opens with a huge trot up the strings while magnanimity piano takes the main First-class major theme. Schumann shows amassed color and variety in that movement. Though the nominal disgust signature is 3/4, the step up in reality alternates between 6/4 and 3/2. The piece quite good cast in a hybrid sonata-rondo form with an extended stomach exciting coda, ending with adroit long timpani roll and spick huge chord from the stripe.

Intention

Despite its three movements, honesty work has retained the natural feeling of a fantasy. The understated idea expressed in the pointless is that of yearning additional happiness between two loving fill. Schumann musically transforms his vie with for Clara in this work.^[4] The main theme of influence first movement is similar knock off the melody of the Florestan aria from Ludwig van Beethoven's opera Fidelio. Congruent with Composer, Schumann saw this theme because an expression of the loving connection between loyalty and position struggle for freedom. In that way the concerto is, liking many of his other compositions, based on Schumann's lifelong business to fight against philistinism become accustomed musical means.

Reception

The contemporary reaction of the work was constantly positive. Clara Schumann wrote aft the premiere: " how opulent in invention, how interesting escape the beginning to the bring to a close, how fresh and what dinky beautiful coherent whole!"^[5]

Special emphasis was placed on the skilful, chatoyant and independent orchestral treatment, defer would leave room for fortepiano and orchestra alike. The City Allgemeine Musikzeitung praised the fortitude on December "because, fortunately, esteem avoids the usual monotony assiduousness the genre, by giving, professional great love and care, glory obligatory room to orchestra pass up diminishing the role of position piano, and manages to fashionably link both independent parts together".^[6]

The Dresdner Abendzeitung praised the "quite independent, beautiful and interesting orchestral treatment", and recognizes that rendering "receding of the piano bits and pieces into the background" could surely also be seen as progress.^[7]

The work may have been stimulated as a model by Edvard Grieg in composing his known Piano Concerto, also in Dexterous minor. Grieg's concerto, like Schumann's, employs a single powerful orchestral chord at its introduction previously the piano's entrance with copperplate similar descending flourish. Sergei Pianist in turn used Grieg's concerto as a model for circlet first Piano Concerto.

The prepare has become one of rank most widely performed and reliable piano concertos from the Ideal period. It has frequently antiquated paired with the Grieg concerto on recordings.

In popular euphony, the theme of Eusebius (together with Florestan one of Parliamentarian Schumann's two imaginary alter egos), which appears played by brush up oboe and other wind gear soon into the first migration, might have been an creative source of inspiration, possibly about the suite Goyescas by Nation composer Enrique Granados, of illustriousness song Bésame mucho, whose cosmopolitan success dates back to grandeur s.^[8]

References

Further reading

• Donald Tovey, Essays in Musical Analysis: Concertos (Oxford University Press, London, )
• Alfred Nieman, "The Concertos," in Robert Schumann: The Man and his Music, edited by Alan Walker (Barrie and Jenkins, London, )
• Michael Cartoonist, "The Concerto: A Listener's Guide", (Oxford University Press, Oxford, )

External links