Robert Schumann, the composer, experienced bouts of melancholy and depression, making his first suicide attempt in 1833 by jumping from a fourth-floor window.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Schumann explicitly stated that he wrote Symphony No. 2 while unwell, believing listeners would notice this, and that it reminded him of a 'black period' in his life.
Compositional Technique
In Symphony No. 2, the Scherzo contains two Trios, with the second spelling out Bach's initials (B-flat, A, C, B) and then inverting them.
Performer Biography
Philippe Herreweghe, the conductor, founded Collegium Vocale Gent in 1970 and La Chapelle Royale in 1977, and has been Artistic Director of several festivals.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in the Koningin Elisabethzaal in Antwerp, Belgium, with Symphony No. 4 recorded in April 2018 and Symphony No. 2 in June 2018.
Compositional Technique
Schumann's Symphony No. 4, though chronologically his second, features a taut new cyclic structure where four symphonic movements are unified without compromising their individual character.
Composition History
Schumann's marriage to composer and pianist Clara Wieck in 1840 temporarily stabilized his emotions and led him to channel his creativity towards orchestral works.
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