The period from 1849-1852 was particularly productive for Schumann, during which he composed over seventy opus numbers.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Schumann borrowed the title for his Fantasiestücken, a work of three poetic miniatures, from his role model E.T.A. Hoffmann, a celebrated author who inspired many composers.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Brahms was deeply interested in older music, collecting original manuscripts, and his Cello Sonata No. 1 in E Minor draws inspiration from J. S. Bach's 'The Art of Fugue'.
Performer Biography
Nils Sylvest, the cellist on this recording, plays a cello built by Johannes Gagliano in 1811, which was specially adapted for him in 1982 because he plays left-handed.
Compositional Technique
Brahms' Cello Sonata No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 38, was titled 'Sonata for Piano and Cello' to emphasize the partnership between the instruments, rather than the cello taking a leading role.
Performer Biography
Mimi Birkelund, the pianist, was a finalist in the Nordic Pianist Competition in 1992 and received Denmark's most prestigious scholarship for pianists, the Martha Stuhres Piano-Stipendie.
Composition History
Schumann's Adagio und Allegro Op.70 and Fantasiestücken Op.73 were originally for horn and clarinet respectively, but publishers noted they could also be performed on cello or violin.
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