Star conductor Christian Thielemann and the Staatskapelle Dresden present a brand new recording of all four symphonies of Robert Schumann, who lived in Dresden from 1844 to 1850 and wrote his second symphony there. His symphonies are considered masterpieces amongst German romantic symphonic works. This cycle, which was recorded live at the Suntory Hall in Tokyo, receiving great critical acclaim, is a new milestone in Schumann interpretation. "The Staatskapelle's sumptuous playing is hard to fault..." (The Guardian) A bonus on this release is "Discovering Schumann," which features Christian Thielemann talking about Schumann�s Symphonies and his interpretations.

Schumann’s most popular song cycles performed by mezzo-soprano Marianne Beate Kielland, who is established as an exceptional performer with a wide-ranging repertoire from baroque to contemporary. Schumann’s astonishing outpouring of songs in his so-called “Liederjahr” was inspired by his love for Clara, whom he married in September that year after prolonged and acrimonious opposition from her father. Schumann survived the ordeal of court appearances in which Friedrich Wieck attempted to defame his character. Myrthen (Myrtle Wreath), a group of twenty-six songs based on texts by several poets, including Ruckert, Goethe, Burns, Byron and Thomas Moore, was published on the day of Schumann’s wedding. It contains many of his most popular songs. The majority of Schumann’s most popular songs (and song-cycles) date from 1840 but his extensive and treasurable work in this genre continued until 1852. At the end of that year he set five poems doubtfully attributed to Mary, Queen of Scots and translated by Gisbert von Vincke – Gedichte der Königin Maria Stuart, Opus 135. Written in one of Schumann’s least productive years, they were his last songs.

This is a special release! Firstly, is no other album that gathers together all pieces for violin and orchestra by Robert Schumann. Secondly, this recording was made using the recently published critical edition of the Violin Concerto. Earlier editions had hundreds of errors. Thirdly, this release also includes Schumann’s own arrangement of his beloved Cello Concerto for violin and orchestra – an addition that is certain to come as a revelation to many! The Fantasie Op 131 was a “sketch” of sort for the Violin Concerto. The three song- arrangements for violin and orchestra also come from the Schumann circle - Joseph Joachim, who was the most famous violinist of the age, was consulted by Schumann when he was working on his Concerto, while Ernst Rudorff was a pupil of Clara Schumann and was very familiar with the music of Robert. The young violinist Lena Neudauer is the featured artist of this recording. Born ub 1984 in Munich, Lena Neudauer began at playing the violin at the age of three and at age 10 had already given her first concert with orchestra. The following year Lena Neudauer entered the class of Helmut Zehetmair at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and later studied with Thomas Zehetmair and Christoph Poppen. She has received enthusiastic support and accolades from Felix Andrievsky, Ana Chumachenco, Midori Goto, Nobuko Imai and Seiji Ozawa.

These performances are absolutely stunning, so much so that a reappraisal of Schumann's Violin sonatas is in order. What once sounded like pre-Brahmsian music (as presented by Ara Malikian and Serouj Kradjian on Hänssler Classic), with its harmonic exploration and varied moods, is here revealed as the full-bodied passion of Schumann at his most impetuous. (It's interesting to note that these two women--violinist Isabelle Faust and pianist Silke Avenhaus--come up with far more aggressive and masculine interpretations than do the two men on the Hänssler disc.)


From the urgent opening of Sonata No. 1, Faust mounts the music as if it were a wild stallion, riding out the first movement's emotional twists and turns with a sure grip on its technical challenges. Avenhaus is right there with her, riding side saddle, making the two a formidable team. Faust pulls back slightly for Schumann's big, overtly symphonic Sonata No. 2, especially in the dreamy adagio where she achieves a particularly beautiful tone quality. But it's back to flame throwing for the No. 3 (a work that went unpublished until 1956), making for a powerful conclusion to the program. CPO's sound is more compact than Hänssler's (with its large hall acoustic), an effect that brings the duo vividly into your listening room. If you're at all curious about Schumann's violin sonatas (and you should be), this disc demands your investigation.
--Victor Carr Jr, ClassicsToday.com

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This album features some of the most important piano works by Schumann. Pompa-Baldi plays these works with exception understanding and feeling.

Classical Music