Schumann: Complete Piano Works, Vol. 6, Album für die Jugend

Featuring

Florian Uhlig
Robert Schumann

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Composition History

Robert Schumann began composing the Album for the Young for his eldest daughter Marie's seventh birthday, with other pieces following from his family life.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Schumann intended the Album for the Young to provide a comprehensive musical education, not just technical skill, and initially planned to include pieces by other composers to offer a historical overview.

Compositional Technique

The Album for the Young is structured progressively, with two sections: 'For little ones' and 'For the more grown-up,' addressing both technical and musical challenges.

Performer Biography

Pianist Florian Uhlig, born in 1974, has lived in London since 1995, where he studied at the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music.

Recording & Production

This recording is part of Florian Uhlig's 15-CD project to record all of Robert Schumann's piano works for the hänssler CLASSIC label, with two CDs planned for release each year.

Critical Reception

A reviewer in 1849 recognized the Album for the Young as a 'true treasure of poetry, sentiment and genuine humour,' distinguishing it from Schumann's earlier Scenes from Childhood as truly for children.

Cultural Impact

The Album for the Young became a model for musically sophisticated educational piano literature, influencing composers like Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Béla Bartók.