Description
This collection of eight pieces bears poetic titles such as "Aufschwung" (Soaring) and "Warum?" (Why?). Its richly literary, evocative character is quintessentially Schumann, with each piece conjuring a different mood or scene. Brilliant, technically demanding movements alternate with more introspective ones, creating a deliberate sense of contrast across the set. Composed in 1837, this substantial fantasia collection runs about twenty-nine minutes with over 15,000 notes, testing an advanced player's stamina and sense of structure across all eight pieces.
Piano works with a free, improvisatory character, ranging from Bach to Chopin and Beethoven, each shaped by imaginative, fantasy-like ideas.
About the Composer
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Robert Schumann was a leading German Romantic composer born in Zwickau. His poetic style reflects his deep literary sensibility, and his wife Clara Schumann was herself a renowned pianist and composer. His pedagogical piano collection Album for the Young remains beloved for its simple yet evocative miniatures for children and families. This site includes 63 of his works, including several pieces from that collection.
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