Schumann's Piano Concerto began as a single-movement Phantasie for piano and orchestra in 1841, which he later revised in 1845 by adding a slow movement and finale.
Composer Biography
Clara Wieck, Schumann's wife and a pianist, encouraged him to write for orchestra, believing his imagination was too great for only the piano.
Album & Artwork
The pairing of Schumann's and Grieg's Piano Concertos on a single album originated with the advent of long-playing discs, with each work conveniently occupying its own LP side.
Notable Performances
Edvard Grieg, a young music student at the time, was in the audience for a performance of Schumann's Piano Concerto in Leipzig, with Clara Schumann as the soloist.
Compositional Technique
Both Schumann's and Grieg's Piano Concertos are in A minor and share structural characteristics, including opening piano cadenzas with downward flourishes and lyrical second themes in C major.
Composition History
Traces of Clara Wieck's own youthful Concerto in A minor can be found in Robert Schumann's first movement, including a four-note motive from her third movement.
Composition History
Franz Liszt, a renowned composer and pianist, sight-read Grieg's Piano Concerto, playing both solo and orchestral parts simultaneously, and offered suggestions for changes.
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