The Five Pieces in Folk Style Op. 102 were written in Dresden in 1849, just two weeks before the bloody May Uprising, reflecting a conscious decision for simplicity in troubled times.
Recording & Production
For the cello concerto recording, the Kammerorchester Basel played historically informed on gut strings and bows, and with historic brass instruments.
Composer Biography
Robert Schumann, the composer, played the cello himself in the 1830s after a piano career became impossible due to problems with his right hand.
Composition History
Schumann composed his Cello Concerto in a frenzy of creativity, completing it in just two weeks in 1850, shortly after becoming municipal director of music in Düsseldorf.
Composition History
Schumann's Cello Concerto faced publishing delays and was only released in August 1854 after his third attempt with a publisher, Breitkopf & Härtel.
Critical Reception
The Cello Concerto was not premiered until April 1860, nearly four years after Schumann's death, because cellists did not share Clara Schumann's view that it was 'written in exactly the right character for the 'cello'.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Schumann's Fantasy Pieces Op. 73 reflect his concept of three fictional characters—Florestan (rebellious), Eusebius (dreamy), and Meister Raro (balancing)—which he used to represent his own emotional turmoil.
