Schumann's Symphonic Etudes, Opus 13, originated from a theme provided by Baron von Fricken, the adoptive father of Schumann's fiancée Ernestine von Fricken.
Performer Biography
Sandra Urba, the pianist on this album, was born in Vilnius in 1987 into a family of musicians and began piano lessons at age six.
Composer Biography
Robert Schumann's father encouraged his musical talent, even attempting to place him as a protégé with composer Carl Maria von Weber, but his father died in 1826.
Compositional Technique
The Symphonic Etudes, Opus 13, are fundamentally a series of variations on Fricken's theme, but their immense pianistic demands elevate them beyond a typical variation cycle.
Composer Biography
Despite his mother's wish for him to study law, Robert Schumann took piano lessons with Friedrich Wieck, a famous piano teacher, and became a star of the student cultural scene in Heidelberg.
Composition History
The dedication of Schumann's ABEGG Variations to 'Comtesse Pauline d'Abegg' was an invention by Schumann to add intrigue, as the countess never existed.
Composition History
Schumann's ABEGG Variations, his Opus 1, is a play on letters and tones, using the notes A-B-E-G-G, which also form a German surname.
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