AQUARIUS, the vocal ensemble on this recording, was founded in 1995 by Marc Michael De Smet and was originally known as the Goeyvaerts Consort.
Composition History
Schumann's Romances for women's voices and many other works date from 1849, a year he considered one of his most productive despite political unrest.
Performer Biography
Marc Michael De Smet, the conductor of AQUARIUS, studied at conservatories in Gent, Brussels, and Maastricht, and received training from Lucas Vis.
Composer Biography
Robert Schumann, the composer, was the son of a bookseller, publisher, and writer, and showed an early interest in literature.
Composition History
Schumann wrote his four albums of Romanzen und Balladen for his Verein für Chorgesang, a mixed choir he established with about a hundred amateur singers.
Composer's Artistic Vision
With his literary background, Schumann was selective in his choice of texts for his Romances and Ballads, including works by Goethe, Mörike, and Robert Burns.
Composer Biography
Schumann's early ambitions as a pianist were hindered by a weakness in his fingers, leading him to focus on composition.
