The recording uses a Stephen Paulello 'Opus 102' piano, chosen for its Romantic-era qualities and its ability to facilitate dialogue between violin and piano while maintaining their independence.
Composition History
Robert Schumann's 3rd Violin Sonata in A minor was created by transforming the F.A.E. Sonata, with Schumann replacing movements by Dietrich and Brahms with his own compositions.
Composer Biography
Clara Schumann, a pianist, composer, and teacher, was rarely satisfied with pianos until the Schumanns moved to Düsseldorf in 1850, where she found satisfaction with pianos made by Johann Bernhard Klems.
Album & Artwork
The album's title, "1853: Schumann, the twilight," refers to a pivotal year in Robert Schumann's life, marked by both creative intensity and the onset of his mental decline.
Composition History
Robert Schumann initially excluded his wife, Clara Schumann, a prodigy composer, from contributing to the collaborative F.A.E. Sonata, despite her active role in his musical life.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Robert Schumann was drawn to the idea of "half-light" or "Zwielicht," a concept German painters and poets used for ambiguous moments between day and night, reflecting his own state in his final fertile year.
Composition History
The F.A.E. Sonata was a collaborative work dedicated to violinist Joseph Joachim, with movements contributed by Robert Schumann, Albert Dietrich, and Johannes Brahms, based on Joachim's motto "Frei aber einsam" (Free but alone).
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