Piano Recital: Kotaro Fukuma

Featuring

Kotaro Fukuma
Robert Schumann

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Composer's Artistic Vision

In his Novelletten, Schumann features characters Florestan and Eusebius, borrowed from E.T.A. Hoffmann, representing extroverted and introverted aspects of his personality.

Composer Biography

Robert Schumann, the composer, wrote keyboard music almost exclusively until he was thirty, using it to express his thoughts, feelings, and personality.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Schumann was fascinated by games and puzzles, often incorporating them into his music, as seen in his first published work, the Abegg Variations.

Composer Biography

Schumann initially attempted to study law at his mother's insistence but soon abandoned it for his strong attraction to music.

Compositional Technique

The Abegg Variations, Schumann's first published work, is based on a theme derived from the letters of a young pianist's surname, Mme. Meta Abegg, using German musical notation (A - B flat - E - G - G).

Performer Biography

Kotaro Fukuma, the pianist on this album, was the first-prize winner of the 2003 Cleveland International Piano Competition, where he also received the Chopin Prize.