Fantasiestücke Op.73 for Clarinet and Piano
Zart und mit Ausdruck
Lebhaft, leicht
Rasch und mit Feuer
Funf Stücke im Volkston, Op 102, for ‘Cello and Piano
Mit humor
Langsam
Nicht schnell, mit viel Ton zu spielen
Nicht zu rasch
Stark und markiert
The critic Gerald Abraham wrote that "Schumann’s chamber music may, even more than the orchestral, be regarded as an extension of his piano music", and the majority of his work, even when it does not actually include a piano, is informed by the textures and figurations of keyboard writing. His three String Quartets, in particular, often come in for some criticism on this count. But it would be a grave error to assume that Schumann’s instinct for the piano made him insensitive to the colour and expressive possibilities of other instruments, and many of his most successful and beautiful chamber works are those in which he used a carefully chosen second instrument, or group of instruments to complement and enrich the expressive range of his piano writing. One such work, the Andante and Variations Op.46 for two pianos, two ‘cellos and horn (1843) was performed last November in the Centre Stage series; today we present two later works of similar character, both written in the spring of 1849. This was a particularly prolific period for Schumann; in the preceding months he had completed the Adagio and Allegro for horn and piano and the Album für die Jugend, as well as working on his opera Genoveva. His choice of partner-instruments for the piano was characteristic of his romantic temperament; again and again he wrote for those most typical instruments of German romanticism, the horn, the clarinet and the ‘cello. The tone of these instruments – perhaps the closest to the human voice – seemed to have had a special appeal for the great Lieder-writer, and he appears to have regarded them as virtually interchangeable. The Fantasiestücke (Fantasy Pieces) were later published in a version for ‘cello and piano, and ‘cello and clarinet versions also exist of the Adagio and Allegro. The Fantasiestücke and Funf Stücke im Volkston (Five Pieces in Folk-style) are performed today in their original forms.
R. G. Bratby
Copyright Classical Notes.co.uk 2000
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