Reger/schumann: Variations Etc

Description

Robert Schumann (1810-1856)Humoreske in B Flat, Op. 20 Max Reger (1873-1916) Variations and Fugue on a Theme of J. S.Bach, Op. 81 In September, 1838, Robert Schumann set out for Vienna. Forsome years he had lived in Leipzig, studying briefly at the University, and finally, afterless than a year at Heidelberg, returning as a pupil of Friedrich Wieck, who hadentertained some hopes of his pupil's future success as a pianist. Matters were to turnout differently. By 1832 a weakness in two fingers of the right hand, a possible result ofmercury-poisoning brought on by the use of that substance as a cure for syphilis, forcedSchumann to abandon his ambitions as a performer, enabling him to concentrate moreattention on composition. In 1834 he became closely involved in the Neue Zeitschrift f??r Musik, a publication that wasto win him a reputation as a writer and critic during the following ten years.During his time in Leipzig Schumann had fallen in love withWieck's daughter Clara, a pianist of considerable ability, on whom her father had lavishedcare and attention. Wieck had considered Schumann of some use in furthering Clara's careerby his writing, much as Clara's inclusion of music by Schumann in her concert programmeswas serving to win the composer a reputation. He disapproved strongly, however, ofSchumann as a son-in-law and his opposition to the marriage of the couple had, by 1839,become overt. Litigation was to follow in bitter months of disagreement, ended only byWieck's final failure to convince the courts of the justice of his case, and the couple'smarriage in September, 1840.Vienna had seemed to hold out some promise to both Schumann andClara Wieck. She had enjoyed success there in concert performances, and he hoped topersuade a Vienna publisher to take over the NeueZeitschrift. Their hopes proved illusory. Vienna had its own musicalpublications and had no need of any more. Clara had embarked in January, 1839, on asuccessful concert tour that took her to Paris, without her father, who, by his absence,hoped to show her that she could not do without him. It was from Paris that, in June, sheapplied to the courts for permission to marry Schumann. By then he had given up anythought of Vienna and returned to Leipzig.As so often when Clara was absent, Schumann wrote a great dealof music during his months in Vienna. The Arabeske,Opus 18, was completed at the end of that year, followed, in early 1839, by theBlumenst??ck, Opus 19, the beginning of apiano concerto, and, in February, by the Humoreske,Opus 20. This was to be followed by the Faschingsschwankaus Wien, which he began in March, when his return to Leipzig had already beenplanned.The form of the Humoreskeis elusive. The title itself appears here for the first time in the history of music,borrowed from earlier Romantic literature, where it had served to express something of theperiod's capricious changes of mood. Schumann put together a series of episodes, looselyrelated. These may be grouped togeth