In the early 19th century, the piano sonata faced a crisis, with composers and audiences preferring variations, character pieces, stylized dances, or etudes for performance.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Robert Schumann, an attentive observer, remarked in 1839 that the sonata was a 'kind of music which in France draws at best a pitying smile, and in Germany itself is hardly more than tolerated'.
Composition History
The two 'sonatas' on this CD, Robert Schumann's Concert sans Orchestre op. 14 and Phantasie op. 17, were written between late 1835 and late 1836, during Schumann's painful separation from Clara Wieck.
Album & Artwork
This album is the first in a 15-CD series by Florian Uhlig, aiming to be the first truly complete recording of Robert Schumann's works for piano two hands.
Composition History
Robert Schumann often published his piano works in two divergent versions, making a 'complete works' recording problematic if only one version is used or versions are fused.
Composer Biography
Robert Schumann dedicated his Concert sans Orchestre op. 14 to Ignaz Moscheles, a teacher and friend of Mendelssohn, and his Phantasie op. 17 to Franz Liszt, a revolutionary virtuoso.
Performer Biography
Florian Uhlig, the pianist on this recording, gave his first piano recital at age twelve and has performed with major orchestras worldwide, including the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Dresden Philharmonic.
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Schumann: Piano Sonata No. 1 & Fantasie
Schumann: Fantasy in C; Arabesque / Liszt: Sonata in B minor; La lugubre gondola
Schumann: Humoreske, Op. 20 / Fantasia In C, Op. 17
