Schumann's Kreisleriana and Humoreske reflect a fundamental Romantic question: how to combine subjective artistic expression with objective reflection.
Compositional Technique
Schumann's Kreisleriana is based on the Baroque partita form, which J.S. Bach perfected, using a succession of movements or dances.
Composition History
Schumann dedicated the Kreisleriana to his friend Frédéric Chopin, emphasizing their shared artistic intentions and spiritual affinity.
Compositional Technique
The Kreisleriana uses 'metric dissonance,' where accents against the beat correspond to delayed harmonic resolutions, requiring an interpreter's total mastery of the instrument.
Compositional Technique
The Humoreske includes an 'inner' voice, similar to the 'Sphinx' in Carnaval, which is notated but not meant to be played.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Schumann's Humoreske aims to dissolve the tension between feeling and reason, overcoming the inner strife that characterized E.T.A. Hoffmann's Kapellmeister Kreisler.
Performer Biography
Pianist Jimin Oh-Havenith, born in Seoul, South Korea, has recorded nine solo CDs since resuming her solo career in 2013.
