In his Second Symphony, Robert Schumann directly challenges sonata structure by presenting thematic material only in the introduction, and the finale uses a quote from Beethoven's song cycle 'An die ferne Geliebte'.
Composition History
Robert Schumann composed his First Symphony, 'Spring Symphony', in just a few weeks at the beginning of 1841, inspired by Franz Schubert's 'Great' symphony and Felix Mendelssohn's work at the Gewandhaus.
Compositional Technique
The 'motto' for Robert Schumann's First Symphony is a trumpet motive at the beginning of the first movement that reappears throughout the work in various guises.
Notable Performances
Robert Schumann's First Symphony, 'Spring Symphony', was premiered on March 31, 1841, as part of a Gewandhaus concert conducted by Felix Mendelssohn.
Composer Biography
Robert Schumann wrote his Second Symphony in C major in December 1845 while suffering from deep depression and anxiety, noting that one could "hear this" in the music.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Although Robert Schumann's First Symphony is known as the 'Spring Symphony', he removed the programmatic movement titles from the manuscript, stating he wanted to 'depict' not 'paint'.
Performer Biography
Lawrence Foster, the conductor on this album, has been a major champion of the music of Romanian composer Georg Enescu and was decorated by the Romanian President for his services to Romanian music.
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