Portfolio of recorded performances and exegesis: the late piano works of Robert Schumann.

Abstract

This doctoral submission consists of 4 CD recordings of my performances of Schumann’s piano works (from Opus 72 to the last piece he composed) supported by an exegesis. The works performed and discussed are: Vier Fugen Op. 72 (1845), Vier Märsche Op. 76 (1849), Waldszenen Op. 82 (1848/9), Bunte Blätter Op. 99 (1836-49), Albumblätter Op. 124 (1832-45), Drei Fantasiestücke Op. 111 (1851), Drei Klavier-Sonaten für die Jugend Op. 118 (1853), Sieben Stücke in Fughettenform Op. 126 (1853), Gesänge der Frühe Op. 133 (1853), and the Geistervariationen WoO 24 (1854). Recent scholarship suggests that Schumann’s late piano works have been unreasonably neglected. This neglect has been justified by reference to his mental condition, which has often been assumed to have deteriorated as he got older, allegedly affecting the quality of his composition. Empirical evidence from the 1980s onwards supports a burgeoning school of thought that casts misgivings on the once commonly held belief that Schumann’s late works are inferior in quality. These recordings provide a fresh interpretation of the material and are intended to contribute towards a 21st century Schumannian renaissance as we approach the 200th anniversary of his birth in 2010. The exegesis discusses the process of researching, learning, performing and recording these works. Interpretative decisions are described and validated through an examination of the implications of the score, and specific pianistic issues arising through the maturation of Schumann’s late style are also discussed. The works have been examined on the basis that historical prejudice may have prevented a fair assessment of the quality of the composer’s music of this period.