22-23 Program Book - Flipbook - Page 34
Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 7 (1835)
CLARA JOSEPHINE SCHUMANN NÉE WIECK
(September 13, 1819-May 20, 1896)
CLASSICAL SERIES: MR. & MRS. SCHUMANN
Clara Schumann was a German pianist, composer, and piano teacher. She
grew up in Leipzig, where her father, Friedrich Wieck, was a professional
pianist and teacher, and her mother an accomplished singer. She was a child
prodigy, and her musical studies were guided closely by her father. Her official
debut was in 1828 at age nine. She began touring at age eleven: visiting Paris
Vienna, among other cities, where she met many contemporary luminaries,
such as Chopin and Liszt.
Clara wrote that “composing gives me great pleasure... there is nothing that
surpasses the joy of creation, if only because through it one wins hours of selfforgetfulness, when one lives in a world of sound.” In January 1833, at age 13,
she began composing a piano concerto and completed a single movement in
November that she orchestrated herself. In February 1834, her future husband
Robert Schumann revised the orchestration, and the 14-year-old prodigy then
performed it in several concerts. She expanded the work by adding two more
movements, a first movement in June 1834, and the second movement the
following year. She again orchestrated the work herself, including undoing
Robert's revisions of the original. Twelve days before her 16th birthday, Clara
completed the three-movement Piano Concerto on September 1, 1835. She
premiered the full concerto on November 9, 1835 with the Leipzig Gewandhaus
Orchestra, which was conducted by Felix Mendelssohn. It is a showpiece for
the soloist with many moments of drama and triumph.
The first movement forgoes the traditional orchestral exposition with a short
dramatic introduction setting the mood for the piano soloist. Once the piano
enters, it dominates the music; the orchestra provides support and occasional
timbral contrast in the form of short interjections from the strings or solos
in the winds. The first movement segues directly to the second, a beautiful
Romanze. The soloist presents a lovely lyrical melody that goes through a
few interesting harmonic twists and turns before sharing the spotlight with
the cello who takes over the melody while the soloist decorates it. After an
extended duet, tympani rolls and a brief trumpet fanfare foreshadow the next
movement.
The third movement begins directly, dramatically and forcefully. The soloist
leads the way with the orchestra providing energetic interjections and
support. The drama eventually gives way to a more triumphant mood with
more fireworks from the soloist and a gradual build in excitement that peaks
and subsides. The soloist presents a somewhat sentimental respite, and one
wonders how the piece will end. This respite is short-lived, however—the
dramatic opening of the third movement returns, and the various moods are
revisited with accumulated technical flash and dramatic contrasts on the way
to a very exciting conclusion. This work is a testament to Schumann’s abilities
as a performer and to her precociousness as a composer.
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In her time, Clara Schumann was considered the peer of Liszt, Thalberg, and
Anton Rubinstein as well as dubbed Europe’s “Queen of the Piano.” She was
one of the few pianists to perform music from memory and with Liszt, one
of the first to give solo piano recitals. In her hands, the piano recital became
focused on composers and works rather than the performer. She was also a
champion of her husband’s compositions, playing virtually every premiere of
his piano works.