The world of Robert Schumann occupies a notable place in the space of European Romanticism. His sstyle is distinguished by dedicating special attention to the nuances of spiritual life. “To send light into the darkness of men’s heart- such is the duty of the artist!”- that Schumann’s aphorism may be a motto of all his works. It is particularly the pieces composed in the 1830s that are most emotional, a part of which is presented on the album performed by famous Russian pianist Irina Petrova Chukovskaya. Irina Vladimirovna Petrova-Chukovskaya has had a long artistic path, typical for talented children in the USSR. She was born in Tashkent to a musical family. Already at the age of seven, she performed the Piano Concerto in D major by Joseph Haydn accompanied by the Tashkent Philharmonic Orchestra and at the age of twelve, she was admitted to the Central Music School of the Moscow Conservatory in the class of Vera Vasilyevna Gornostaeva. Soon she performed her first concerto. Since 1985 she has been a soloist of the Moscow Philharmonic, and she actively performs in Russia and abroad. “Chukovskaya combines unprecedented technique with passionate and poetic musicality. Her repertoire is very extensive and her performances are often sensational.” (David Gilbert)