Robert Schumann - Complete Piano Works CD 1 - 4 of 13

Schumann's career very nearly took a very direction. He had planned to be a writer and a lawyer, and it was the experience of hearing Paganini play in 1830 that provided the impetus to set the young man on a path that would eventually see him become one of the great romantic composers. Having chosen this path, (he had dabbled as a composer in his childhood, and his father considered sending him to Weber for tuition). Schumann found composition anything but easy. A pianist of considerable prowess, he worshipped Beethoven and Chopin. His early works though show remarkably little influence of his heroes. For Schumann the models for his early sonatas and the many attempted piano concertos were Hummel, Moscheles (who he also idolised), Cramer, Weber and Spohr. Many works were started, left incomplete, then cannibalised for the few he did complete and publish. This collection of all the complete works for solo piano plus the Piano Concerto illustrate the struggles, failures and triumphs of this most complicated of composers. The famous Piano Concerto is a modelled on the Hummel/Moscheles form – none the worse for that, but it was Schumann third attempt at a piano concerto, and is actually two works put together. That said it is an undoubted masterpiece, as are the solo piano works Kreisleriana Op.9, the C major Fantasie (probably the nearest he got to a 'Beethovenian' Sonata) Op.17, Kinderszenen Op.15, Carnaval Op.9. This set also contains the lesser- known early works, and the more formal piano sonatas Opp. 11 & 22 – both these works completed after years of struggle, and incorporating material from earlier works.

requested by Avaxheim
Tracks CD 1:

01. Kreisleriana, Op. 16: I. Äusserst bewegt [0:02:30.62]
02. Kreisleriana, Op. 16: II. Sehr innig und nicht zu rasch [0:08:52.65]
03. Kreisleriana, Op. 16: III. Sehr aufgeregt [0:04:15.51]
04. Kreisleriana, Op. 16: IV. Sehr langsam [0:03:46.36]
05. Kreisleriana, Op. 16: V. Sehr lebhaft [0:02:57.53]
06. Kreisleriana, Op. 16: VI. Sehr langsam, durchaus leise zu halten [0:04:08.54]
07. Kreisleriana, Op. 16: VII. Sehr rasch [0:02:02.12]
08. Kreisleriana, Op. 16: VIII. Schnell und spielend [0:03:15.35]
09. Fantasie in C major, Op. 17: I. Durchaus phantastisch und leidenschaftlich vorzutragen [0:12:35.46]
10. Fantasie in C major, Op. 17: II. Mässig. Durchaus energisch [0:07:27.40]
11. Fantasie in C major, Op. 17: III. Langsam getragen, durchaus leise zu halten [0:10:15.62]

Tracks CD 2:

01. Piano Sonata No. 1 in F sharp minor Op. 11, Introduzione (un poco adagio)-allegro vivace [0:12:42.49]
02. Piano Sonata No. 1 in F sharp minor Op. 11, Aria [0:03:02.26]
03. Piano Sonata No. 1 in F sharp minor Op. 11, Scherzo e Intermezzo, allegrissimo [0:04:54.19]
04. Piano Sonata No. 1 in F sharp minor Op. 11, Finale, allegro un poco maestoso [0:11:51.14]
05. Piano Sonata No. 2 in G minor Op. 22, So rasch wie möglich-schneller-noch schneller [0:05:46.17]
06. Piano Sonata No. 2 in G minor Op. 22, Andantino, getragen [0:04:59.28]
07. Piano Sonata No. 2 in G minor Op. 22, Scherzo, sehr rasch und markiert [0:01:36.29]
08. Piano Sonata No. 2 in G minor Op. 22, Rondo, presto [0:05:12.02]

Tracks CD 3:

01. Piano Concerto in A minor Op. 54, Allegro affetuoso [0:15:00.43]
02. Piano Concerto in A minor Op. 54, Intermezzo [0:05:16.48]
03. Piano Concerto in A minor Op. 54, Allegro vivace [0:10:35.40]
04. Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Phantasiebilder Op. 26, Sehr lebhaft [0:08:38.64]
05. Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Phantasiebilder Op. 26, Romanze, ziemlich langsam [0:02:34.00]
06. Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Phantasiebilder Op. 26, Scherzino [0:02:03.55]
07. Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Phantasiebilder Op. 26, Intermezzo mit grösster Energie [0:02:03.62]
08. Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Phantasiebilder Op. 26, Finale, höchst lebhaft [0:05:03.52]

Tracks CD 4:

01. Fantasiestücke Op. 12 - Des Abends [0:03:22.46]
02. Fantasiestücke Op. 12 - Aufschwung [0:02:53.42]
03. Fantasiestücke Op. 12 - Warum? [0:02:31.09]
04. Fantasiestücke Op. 12 - Grillen [0:03:31.01]
05. Fantasiestücke Op. 12 - In der Nacht [0:03:47.63]
06. Fantasiestücke Op. 12 - Fabel [0:02:31.33]
07. Fantasiestücke Op. 12 - Traumeswirren [0:02:12.34]
08. Fantasiestücke Op. 12 - Ende vom Lied [0:04:42.28]
09. Waldszenen Op. 82 - Eintritt [0:02:00.25]
10. Waldszenen Op. 82 - Jäger auf der Lauer [0:01:16.55]
11. Waldszenen Op. 82 - Einsame Blumen [0:01:58.28]
12. Waldszenen Op. 82 - Verrufene Stelle [0:03:13.63]
13. Waldszenen Op. 82 - Freundliche Landschaft [0:01:05.39]
14. Waldszenen Op. 82 - Herberge [0:01:58.68]
15. Waldszenen Op. 82 - Vogel als Prophet [0:02:50.28]
16. Waldszenen Op. 82 - Jagdlied [0:02:24.14]
17. Waldszenen Op. 82 - Abschied [0:03:33.30]
18. Arabesque Op. 18 [0:06:20.21]
19. Kinderszenen Op. 15 - Von fremden Ländern und Menschen [0:01:45.65]
20. Kinderszenen Op. 15 - Kuriose Geschichte [0:01:04.54]
21. Kinderszenen Op. 15 - Hasche-Mann [0:00:29.60]
22. Kinderszenen Op. 15 - Bittendes Kind [0:01:07.13]
23. Kinderszenen Op. 15 - Glückes genug [0:01:02.57]
24. Kinderszenen Op. 15 - Wichtige Begebenheit [0:00:48.35]
25. Kinderszenen Op. 15 - Träumerei [0:02:40.73]
26. Kinderszenen Op. 15 - Am Kamin [0:00:54.38]
27. Kinderszenen Op. 15 - Ritter vom Steckenpferd [0:00:34.36]
28. Kinderszenen Op. 15 - Fast zu ernst [0:01:50.32]
29. Kinderszenen Op. 15 - Fürchtenmachen [0:01:22.44]
30. Kinderszenen Op. 15 - Kind im Einschlummern [0:02:10.17]
31. Kinderszenen Op. 15 - Der Dichter spricht [0:01:59.37]