Let's talk Schumann

[zax102]

All Schumann?  Why not.  Specifically piano pieces, though. 

Here is my dilemma:  I do not like any piano music by Schumann.  Why? Because I've simply never heard any that I like.  Kinderszenen is a perfect example.  They're NICE, sure, but definitely not my favorite.  I prefer a romance done by him in F sharp major to all of them, Traumerei included (I know, heresy).  Traumerei is beautiful, don't get me wrong, but in comparison to a Chopin nocturne?  Chopin wins, for me.

Schumann is amazing, though, so this bothers me that I feel this way.  Schumann's piano quartet in e-flat major, third movement?  One of the most beautiful things ever written, in my opinion--but I can't really play this solo, so for now this is a no go.  Schumann's string quartet in A major, first movement, where the notes mimic the name "Clara"?  Wonderful, but it's for strings.  I love his symphonies, and of course there is his very famous piano concerto.

So what's equally beautiful for solo piano?  Any and all difficulty levels are welcome.  Make a big list, a small list, suggest one or two things, I don't care.  Why is Schumann a great composer for the SOLO piano?  Ready, go.

[sisyphos]

try to write like schumann

[zax102]

try to write like schumann

That's not a piano piece    Also, I can't, obviously, but why would I want to?  I'd rather write like me.

[chopinspride]

To be honest, I tend to agree with you! I love the last movement of the d minor trio, and his late violin sonata in a minor (can't remember the opus). I have never actually played any Schumann properly. It's always been Chopin and Liszt for me. I recently bought a copy Waldszenen to add to my music library . I have to admit that these pieces were wonderful, but I have heard better, as you say in the Chopin nocturnes.
To answer your question, I would guess that Schumann is a "great" composer for piano because he practically invented programme music; giving all his pieces funny titles! (Like Traumerei, Papillions etc etc.)

Good luck and Happy Practising!

John 3:16

New International Version (NIV)

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

[drkilroy]

Carnaval, op.9, Davidsbündlertänze, op. 6. I like Schumann more than Chopin. 

Best regards, Dr

[pianoman53]

Waldszenen!, Symphonic etudes, the fantasie....

And I don't think you can compare Chopin with Schumann. They are simply too different.

[healdie]

DrKilroy wasn't comparing Schumann and Chopin he was mainly stating a preference and I would also go with that, there are some pieces of Schumann that have/will learn but almost none of Chopin that I have enjoyed

But I do agree that it is pointless to compare composers of any style no matter how similar they may appear it does just seem pointless

[liszt_ani_rach]

Have a look at Schuman's sonatas, Carnaval, Fantasy in C op 17.

[zax102]

Awesome!  Thank you for all the recommendations.  If you're reading this and you don't see one of your favorites posted, then what are you doing!?  Log in, right now, if you're not (don't be lazy) and type it in.  Are you going to let these other people forget your favorite? You are a crazy person.

By the way, if any of you haven't listened to that piano quartet in E flat major, the third movement specifically, you need to youtube that at least.  It's gorgeous, you won't be disappointed.  It's not well known enough for how beautiful it is and it makes me sad.

And of course you can compare composers.  You can and should.  It stimulates conversation.  Maybe you like all of them equally--that's fine--but I wrote in my journal, once, "Most music is high fructose corn syrup; Chopin is chocolate mousse."  That's just how I feel. 

[ionian_tinnear]

I've been working on the Novelletten, at the moment the one in F, and really enjoying it.  Not really a hard piece, but very dynamic.  Lots of beautiful suspensions and dissonances, with resolutions that tear at you.  Great piece for showing 'feel'.  It does have its challenges, tricky fingering..

[redbaron]

John 3:16

New International Version (NIV)

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

This is gonna start to rub people up the wrong way pretty quickly.

[alessandro]

This is gonna start to rub people up the wrong way pretty quickly.

Absolutely.   It was already itching a lot, but now, frankly, what is this "God"-stuff doing in this topic.   I understand it can be hard to filter this kind of nonsense out of this forum, but I really feel like this.   Maybe people tolerate more this kind of preachery in Texas, but please, keep this nice place a little bit neutral.   Everybody had freedom of speech, but please don't abuse it.   So Chopinspride, would it please be possible to limit your references to the Bible, to a strict minimum ?

God will bless you.

Kindly.

[asiantraveller101]

I adore Schumann's piano works. More so than Chopin. I do admit that Schumann's works is less "charming", i.e. not as easily accessible. His music can be complex, complicated, at times got caught up in the polyphonic texture. His melodic ideas tend to be motivic, less lyrical and more instrumental; though he wrote many lieders. However, there are smaller/shorter pieces that are absolutely charming. At times his compositions need repeated hearings to appreciate them. His best works are found in his cyclical compositions, even though I do love all his 3 piano sonatas. Among my favorites, are Papillions, Kreisleriana, Novelletten, Romances, Fantaisie, and Humoreske.

[zax102]

This is gonna start to rub people up the wrong way pretty quickly.

Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa WHOA!  Greetings, it is I, topic creator (though by no means topic dictator, so it's not like what I'm about to say is an order or anything).  I am an atheist, and I am totally FINE with it.  My good friend--okay, well, we're not friends.  He would probably hate me.  Anyway, my bitter enemy, Bach, was a devout Christian and I adore him. So, please, let's keep this about Schumann.  Yeah, so he mentioned Jesus, first, blah blah blah but there's no need for that to now be a conversation.  I don't want to talk about Jesus or people who talk about Jesus or should people be talking about Jesus.  Whatever, let's keep this to Schumann?  Please?

Think of it this way.  I am but a poor student in desperate need of some good Schumann piano music to play.  Speaking of Bach, I'm presently tired of him and want to now play some good Schumann stuff.  Are you going to rob this poor student of Schumann conversation over some Jesus debate?  Think of the children.  Or at least think of me.

As for the recent suggestions listed by people: excellent!  Keep these coming!  I'm very pleased, already, with my list of things I now need to listen to and, hopefully, play.

[chrisbutch]

The Humoreske is an extraordinary work which has been haunting me for years now. I find it endlessly fascinating to play, partly because the scope for radically different interpretations is so wide. At first it seems shapeless and incoherent: but like a lot of Schumann, the more you get to know it the more it grows on you. As much as anything it's the multiple layers of irony and parody (including self-parody) which make it so confusing at first, but so rewarding once you begin to explore them.

[scottmcc]

schumann is a composer known for highly variable quality of his works.  some are fantastic (kreisleriana), others less so (faschinengeschwank aus wien springs to mind but I'm sure there are better examples, and some people really seem to like that work for some reason, but I just can't get behind it).

I think he's a composer that grew on me over time, but still a lot of the way he writes strikes me as unimaginative.  there are a lot of problems in life with simplistic, obvious solutions, akin to the up-the-middle play in (american) football, and there are others with a more subtle, elegant approach.  schumann seems to prefer the former.

I'd echo the suggestions for the fantasy in c, waldszenen, carnaval, symphonische etuden, and the 2nd romance op 28.  all great works. 

as for the guy who keeps quoting john 3:16, it's getting annoying.  I'm a quiet christian myself, but I say if you're going to quote the bible, at least be topical or interesting with it, don't just spout the same unimaginative (and irrelevant to the topic at hand) verse with every post.

[scottmcc]

oh yeah...as far as performances which made me really reevaluate schumann's merits, look to wilhelm kempf and sviatoslav richter.  two totally different interpretations that both completely succeed in my mind.

[richterfan1]

Schumann is more romantic as a writer i love them both, but they are so different...