Clara, Clarified by Brian Lauritzen

About the Program Clara, Clarified By Brian Lauritzen It’s impossible to properly talk about While separated, he would send 25 years before that Beethoven statue the music of Robert Schumann without letters (often times also enclosing was unveiled in Bonn, the 50-year-old recognizing the incalculable music he had written) to Clara composer was coming off the biggest contributions Clara Wieck (later expressing his love in words and thing he had ever written for the Schumann) made to Robert’s output, music. The first movement of the piano and getting ready to compose psyche and creative voice. At a time Fantasie, Schumann said, “may well the biggest thing he would ever write when women were discouraged (and be the most passionate I have ever for orchestra. The Piano Sonata No. even hindered) from composing, Clara composed—a deep lament for you.” 30 in E Major, Op. 109, comes just composed. At a time when female after the monumental Hammerklavier instrumental soloists were rare, and Clara likely would have understood Sonata and a couple of years before their success even more so, Clara what Robert was saying with his music the Ninth Symphony. It’s much thrived. At a time when many male even if he hadn’t included the verbal smaller in scale, less dramatic, but artists viewed women as little more explanation. incredibly intimate and personal. He than muses to use and discard once described it as “a small new piece,” “inspiration” left, Clara was a confidante, At the end of the opening movement, and dedicated it to Maximiliane coach and even a mentor. Schumann quotes a phrase from the Brentano, the daughter of Beethoven song cycle An die ferne Beethoven's long-standing friend It is Clara who deserves credit for the Geliebte (To the distant beloved). The text Antonie Brentano. The sonata is in fact that Robert wrote any symphonies of the quote portion is as follows: three movements, with the first and at all: she helped him discover his “Accept then these songs, beloved, second movements connected by the voice writing for orchestra, saying, “it which I sang for you alone.” pianist holding down the damper would be best if he composed for pedal as the last chord of the first orchestra; his imagination cannot find That Schumann would quote Beethoven movement elides into the first chord sufficient scope on the piano. … His makes even more sense when of the second movement. compositions are all orchestral in considering the inspiration for the rest feeling. … My highest wish is that he of the Fantasie. Schumann was helping Prokofiev’s Visions fugitives is a series should compose for orchestra—that is to raise money for a statue of of 20 very brief portraits of some of the his field! May I succeed in bringing Beethoven to be erected in the elder composer’s friends. Unlike Elgar’s him to it!” composer’s hometown of Bonn, Enigma Variations, Prokofiev doesn’t tell Germany. Schumann wanted his us who is conjured in each vision, only Clara also deserves credit for the fact publisher to make 100 special edition that, “In every fugitive vision I see that Robert’s Piano Concerto exists copies of his Fantasie and donate the worlds, full of the changing play of and she deserves at least partial credit proceeds to the fundraising campaign. rainbow hues.” for the existence of the Fantasie in C Schumann’s efforts helped, but it Major, Op. 17, which closes Jeremy wasn’t until Franz Liszt came along and Denk’s program this month. Robert made a sizable donation (the largest Join Brian Lauritzen and other guest Schumann composed the Fantasie single gift) that the statue was finally moderators for free pre-concert before he married Clara Wieck but built. Schumann dedicated his Fantasie, conversations in the Bram Goldsmith after Wieck’s father (Robert’s teacher) therefore, not to Clara Wieck nor to Theater with the artists prior to select had forbidden Wieck from having a Beethoven, but to Franz Liszt, who classical music performances, along relationship with Schumann. played the work privately for Schumann with a complimentary glass of wine and used it in his teaching, but refused provided by The Henry Wine Group. Understandably, Schumann couldn’t to perform it publicly. Clara didn’t abide living in close proximity to the perform the Fantasie publicly either woman he loved but couldn’t be with, until more than a decade after Robert so he left town and moved to Vienna. Schumann’s death. PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P21.

Load more