My Fav Program Notes: Schumann’s Op. 11, 12 and 13

As evidenced by the close proximity in which these three pieces were performed, my Robert Schumann (1810–1856) fixation began after my undergraduate studies (a four-year period in which I explored a different composer every other month). I’ve always enjoyed his piano concerto and chamber music—namely the piano quartet and quintet—when I was younger, but didn’t delve into the German Romantic composer’s large-scale solo works until I came across a 1929 studio recording of Études Symphoniques by Alfred Cortot. My fascination grew from there: not only were each of these twelve etudes and five posthumous variations poignantly characterized, but they also spoke to the piece’s narrative arc as a whole. Similarly, the setting in Fantasiestücke (“Fantasy Pieces”) is illuminated at various hours of the evening, as we witness the narrator’s deep passion (“In der Nacht”), contemplation (“Warum?”) and dreamlike states (Traumes Wirren). Even in the first sonata, which seems to follow the familiar four-movement structure, Schumann’s separation from his lover Clara Wieck during the time certainly influenced his radical treatment of harmony and motivic development.

Perhaps “Hero’s Journey” is a suitable description for Schumann’s ever-present narrative voice. Thomas C. Foster, an author whose books I had studied over the years as an English Major, surmises that in literature “the real reason for a quest is always self-knowledge.” Indeed, my initial goal was to learn more about myself as a pianist; in the end, I learned the most about myself as a storyteller.

Piano Sonata No. 1 in F-Sharp minor, Op. 11

Written and performed for my second master’s recital, November 2023

Schumann’s first piano sonata is just as uncomfortable to listen to as it is to play. The melodies are erratic and turbulent, the harmonies are frustratingly unpredictable, the rhythms are disjointed, and it is difficult to find coherent meaning underneath such a jagged structure. And yet, all of these elements are perfectly fitting of the composer’s musical intentions. At the time, Schumann had been forcibly separated from his lover, Clara Wieck, by her father Friederick Wieck. The German composer thus used this sonata as a means to communicate with Clara, and by 1835 published it anonymously under his pseudonyms Florestan and Eusebius (representing his the more turbulent and reflective sides). Rather than being structured by conventional methods and forms, this work was composed as though it were guided organically by Schumann’s emotional turmoils and passionate feelings for Clara. The first movement begins with a grandiose introduction before transitioning into a quicker, anxiety-inducing character. Throughout, we hear Schumann’s pseudonyms battle relentlessly against each other—sometimes finding a compromise, and other times stubbornly refusing to concede. The brief yet beautiful second movement is titled “Aria,” referencing a genre that typically describes a self-contained piece for one voice with instrumental accompaniment. Based on a somber poem by Justinus Kerner, the marking “senza passione, ma espressivo” illustrates both the narrator’s hopelessness on a desolate battlefield and the composer’s own inner turmoil as he desperately tries to reach Clara. Following this brief interlude is the scherzo, which has two short trios (including a charming parody of a polonaise dance). The music’s intensity and drama culminates in the formidable finale, an unusually structured sonata-rondo that showcases biting rhythmic figures, extreme dynamic changes, and an ominously beautiful ‘B’ section centered around the circle of fifths harmonic progression. A turbulent flurry of dotted rhythms and octaves in the last three pages is where Schumann expresses the peak of his emotions—longing for someone who remains hopelessly out of reach.

I. Un poco adagio - Allegro vivace

II. Aria: Senza passione, ma espressivo

III. Scherzo: Allegrissimo – Intermezzo: Lento. Alla burla, ma pomposo – Tempo I

IV. Finale: Allegro un poco maestoso

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdAdJQ9UEtE

Favorite recordings: Alexandre Kantorow, Murray Perahia, Alexander Kobrin.

Fantasiestücke, Op. 12

Written and performed for my first doctoral recital, April 2025

Schumann didn’t come from a musical background, but rather a literary one: his dad was an avid writer, translator, publisher and book dealer. After attempting to study law in Leipzig, the young German quickly realized that his love for literature and music outweighed every other aspect of his life. Given that Schumann was equally as passionate with writing as he was with composing, he believed that literary devices in his music should be considered as a part of the works, not as extramusical additions. The title of Fantasiestücke references German writer E.T.A. Hoffman’s Fantasiestücke in Callots Manier, an 1814–15 collection of novellas, essays and other written works about music that also contained the complete Kreisleriana. In this collection, Hoffman writes about love, grief, dreams, and madness—central topics that largely align with Schumann’s own musical voice, as his works were not only rich with stylistic innovation but also colored by his innermost emotions. Throughout his life, the Romantic composer composed four pieces under the title “Fantasiestücke,” including his Op. 73 for clarinet and piano (or alternatively cello and piano) as well as an Op. 88 trio. Flanking these two chamber works are this Op. 12 set and a late Op. 111, both written for solo piano. As expressed by the names of these eight movements below, Fantasiestücke tells short yet intimate stories that range from reflective to robust to charming.

“Des Abends” (“In the Evening”)

"Aufschwung" ("Soaring", literally "Upswing")

"Warum?" ("Why?")

"Grillen" ("Whims")

"In der Nacht" ("In the Night")

"Fabel" ("Fable")

"Traumes Wirren" ("Dream's Confusions")

"Ende vom Lied" ("End of the Song")

https://youtu.be/xg7-g8Y2kDM?si=d88TNIz5_vdNLgbV

Favorite recordings: Yulianna Avdeeva, Martha Argerich, Alfred Cortot (especially this movement!).

Études Symphoniques, Op. 13 (with Posthumous Variations)

Written and performed for my first master’s recital, February 2023

In addition to the three piano sonatas he had composed, Schumann was also known for writing lengthy thirty-minute works that showcased a particular set of characters and stylistic techniques. The Études Symphoniques, Op. 13 are structured as a theme and twelve variation etudes, all centered around a simple theme that starts with a descending broken C-Sharp minor chord. Featuring an array of demanding passages that include octaves, staccato, counterpoint and much more, each of the following etudes develop and transform this theme through an overarching technical quirk. I have also chosen to include five posthumous variations, which were discovered and published by Johannes Brahms after Schumann’s death. They are a bit longer and more expansive, thankfully giving the pianist a short break from the etude’s demanding technical challenges. At the very end, a rousing finale (much longer than any of the other etudes) concludes the entire piece in the joyous key of D-Flat Major, based on Heinrich Marschner’s opera Der Templer und die Jüdin. 

A/N: (the majority of this program note seems to be outlined below with added descriptors for each variation…!)

Theme: Andante - simple, somber, and deceptively tricky to pedal

Etude I: Un poco più vivo - strict and marchlike, yet bubbling with anticipation

Etude II: marcate il Canto - expressive, malleable and passionate

Variation I: swimming with wonder and exploration

Etude III: Vivace - a hauntingly beautiful left hand accompanied by a lightfooted right hand

Etude IV: Allegro marcato - sharp and biting

Etude V: Scherzando - sparkling with humor, occasionally erratic

Etude VI: Agitato - fiercely disjointed and chaotic

Variation III: a hypnotizing break from virtuosity

Etude VII: Allegro molto - insistent and brilliant; the first major key etude

Etude VIII: Sempre marcatissimo - fugal, with compressed rhythmic figures

Variation IV (my personal favorite): poetic and wandering

Etude IX: Presto possibile - unfortunately translating to “as fast as possible”

Etude X: Con energia sempre - bursting with energy and fury

Etude XI: Andante espressivo - churning, in the ominous key of g-sharp minor

Variation II: contemplative, uneasy and magical

Variation V: meditative and suspended, in the parallel (enharmonic) major of D-Flat

Etude XII: Allegro brilliante - a jubilant finale, based on the grandiose Marschner's theme

Favorite recordings: Alfred Cortot, Claire Huangci, Anna Tsybuleva.