After having seen this cycle for the first time this way, one cannot understand it differently ever again. Schuman brilliantly makes use of the classic sonata form in order to condense proportions and the dramatic structure in a most confined space. → continue reading “R Schumann: Op. 94 – A Hidden Sonata? (3/3)”
Tag: piano
R Schumann: Retreat and Revolution (2/3)
Which marks did the experiences of revolution leave on Schumann? In his music, they are contrary to what one would assume. Thereby, the Romances, Op. 94 can be seen in a new and unexpected light. → continue reading “R Schumann: Retreat and Revolution (2/3)”
R Schumann: The Escape (1/3)
Robert Schumann composes the Romances for oboe and piano in 1849, shortly after his escape from the May Uprising in Dresden and during the revolution’s turmoil. How did the family experience these seismic events that should remain formative for his artistic work? → continue reading “R Schumann: The Escape (1/3)”
Pavel Haas: Songs from Theresienstadt (3/3)
Theresienstadt 1944: This is where Pavel Haas composes the Four Songs on Chinese Poetry, which is a surreal song cycle on the unfulfilled longing for a return home – and directly refers to the Suita op. 17. It remains the composer’s last surviving piece. Here, under even more menacing circumstances, does he follow these ideas that have remained incomplete five years ago through? → continue reading “Pavel Haas: Songs from Theresienstadt (3/3)”
Pavel Haas: The Manuscript (2/3)
The manuscript of the Suita is a unique document that is essential for a comprehensive understanding of the piece. It provides important information about it’s history, original conception and possible interpretation. → continue reading “Pavel Haas: The Manuscript (2/3)”
Pavel Haas: My Yearning Keeps Me Awake (1/3)
In case of the Suita op. 17, Pavel Haas leaves us with one us the most puzzling pieces in oboe literature. The more answers it gives, the more questions are posed by it. What remains for us is nothing more than a fragment – yet, just the way Haas revisits the Suita in his last recorded oeuvre proves, which key position it must have had for him. → continue reading “Pavel Haas: My Yearning Keeps Me Awake (1/3)”