Chi-Chen Wu's previous Musica Omnia album of Schumann sonatas won two Gold Medals from the Global Music Awards and was named in the Top 10 'Best Classical Recordings of 2015'.
Compositional Technique
In Carnaval, Op. 9, Schumann used the pitch equivalents of the letters 'ASCH' (from Ernestine von Fricken's village and his own name) as a coherent underpinning for the work.
Composer Biography
Schumann's career as a piano virtuoso was cut short by a problem with his right hand's middle finger, possibly exacerbated by a device called a chiroplast.
Composer Biography
Robert Schumann, the composer, initially studied law at university but abandoned it to pursue a career as a poet and musician, having a lifelong interest in literature.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Schumann's literary background, especially his familiarity with the ironic German novelist Jean Paul, influenced his music with sudden contrasts and interrupted episodes.
Performer Biography
Chi-Chen Wu, the fortepiano performer on this album, has been praised for her 'amazing playing' and 'symphonic, expansive texture of breathless virtuosity'.
Composition History
Schumann's Fantasie, Op. 17, was originally conceived as an outpouring of his longing and pain during a temporary separation from Clara Wieck, his future wife.
