Robert Schumann was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic of the Romantic era, born on June 8, 1810, in Zwickau, Saxony, Germany. He passed away on July 29, 1856, in Endenich, near Bonn, Prussia, Germany. Schumann is renowned particularly for his piano music, songs (lieder), and orchestral music. Many of his best-known piano pieces were written for his wife, the pianist Clara Schumann.
Schumann’s early years were marked by his father’s influence, who was a bookseller and publisher. He began his musical education at the age of six, studying the piano. In 1827, he came under the musical influence of Austrian composer Franz Schubert and the literary influence of German poet Jean Paul Richter. In the same year, he composed some songs.
Despite initially studying law at the University of Leipzig, Schumann’s passion for music prevailed. He studied the piano seriously with Friedrich Wieck, Clara’s father, and eventually married Clara despite Wieck’s opposition2. Schumann’s early works were mainly piano pieces, including the large-scale “Carnaval” (1834–1835). He co-founded the “Neue Zeitschrift für Musik” (New Musical Journal) in 1834 and edited it for ten years, contributing significantly to music criticism.
His compositions include the “Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54,” “Symphony No. 1 in B-flat Major,” and song cycles such as “Frauenliebe und -leben” and “Dichterliebe.” Schumann turned to orchestral music in 1841, chamber music and choral works in the following years, and his wife Clara premiered many of his works, including the Piano Concerto.
Schumann’s life was troubled by mental health issues, which led to his attempted suicide in 1854 and subsequent confinement in a sanatorium, where he died two years later. His legacy remains significant, as he was one of the most important Romantic composers and a highly regarded music critic, whose deeply personal music reflects the nature of Romanticism.
Robert Schumann’s Violoncello Concerto in A minor Op. 129 can be regarded as the first great concerto for this instrument’s repertoire. It is thus somewhat surprising…
Robert Schumann’s Violoncello Concerto in A minor Op. 129 can be regarded as the first great concerto for this instrument’s repertoire. It is thus somewhat surprising that this work had an extremely problematic reception history at the outset.
Schumann wrote the score in 1850, during his Düsseldorf years, but there was neither a concrete occasion nor a soloist for a world premiere. After its publication, more years elapsed before the world premiere. It was only towards the end of the 19th century that Schumann’s Cello Concerto finally made its breakthrough as a repertoire piece.
The Urtext edition is based on the original print of the parts and the piano reduction, which had still been supervised by Schumann. In addition, the autograph of the score was consulted for purposes of comparison.
The internationally renowned soloist Heinrich Schiff took part in the preparation of the edition for violoncello and piano. His experiences have been incorporated into his arrangement of the solo part. With his comments, Schiff also provides valuable tips on the interpretation of the work.
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