Notes and Editorial Reviews
SCHUMANN
Kindersonaten
Nos. 1-3.
Wiegenliedchen,
Op. 124/2.
Schlummerlied,
Op. 124/16.
Klavierbüchlein für Marie. Ein Gang durch die Musikgeschichte. Originalstücke zum “Album für die Jugend” die nicht in den Erstdruck aufgenommen wurden
•
Florian Uhlig (pn)
•
HÄNSSLER 98.011 (71:06)
When completed,
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the projected 15 volumes of Florian Uhlig’s complete Schumann cycle, accompanied by extensive booklet notes by Johannes Draheim that represent the latest Schumann scholarship, will be an encyclopedic compilation of every scrap of Schumann’s piano music including fragments and alternate versions. The collections of short, sometimes charming, but far from significant pieces that make up most of this latest installment, Volume 5, entitled
Schumann and his Daughters
, make it feel like an appendix.
The least miniature compositions here are three multi-movement
Kindersonaten
, Schumann’s op. 118, pedagogical works. Unlike
Kinderscenen
, these sonatina-like sonatas never appear on concert programs, but unlike
Album for the Young
, they are seldom taught, because in spite of their intentional technical limitations, they end up feeling long-winded for their material. I prefer their brief inner movements, character pieces, to those in standard sonata forms. Each sonata is dedicated to one of Schumann’s daughters—Julie, Elise, and Marie; Draheim’s notes acquaint us with each of them—and the pieces represent three successive levels of technical difficulty. Each of the first movements begins in a striking way: with grace and innocence (No. 1), lilting rhythm (No. 2), and celebratory exuberance (No. 3), but each wears out its welcome with overly repetitious development. The repeated quotations, in the final movement of No. 3, of the opening of No. 1’s first movement feel particularly labored.
In his thoroughness, Uhlig skirts around
Album for the Young
, which one might expect to be included here, programming a group of familiar selections that weren’t included in the
Album
’s first edition. He also offers a group of pieces, some only brief sketches that were intended, but ultimately not included in the
Album
, including a version of the “Wild Rider” with a slightly different ending. I assume that the complete
Album
will be included in a future volume, perhaps along with
Kinderscenen.
(
Schumann and Childhood
?)
Schumann the piano teacher is further represented by a collection of short selections called
Ein Gang durch die Musikgeschichte
that he gave to his daughter Marie as an educational “promenade” through some of his favorite music. Included either in original keyboard form or transcribed is music by Bach (the Minuet from the Fifth Partita), Handel (the “Harmonius Blacksmith” theme), Mozart (“Vedrai carino” from
Don Giovanni
), Beethoven (the third movement theme from the Sonata, op. 109, and the “Ode to Joy” theme), Gluck (an excerpt from
Orfeo
), Schubert (a ländler), and Weber, “Kaspar’s Drinking Song” from
Der Freischütz,
the latter including some spoken dialog delivered by Uhlig. It’s nice to imagine Schumann choosing these tasteful excerpts, and to imagine how Marie might have played them.
Uhlig plays all of the music on this disc in an unpretentious manner that’s ideally suited to the typical “singing” quality of most of it. His performances of the
Kindersonaten
are similar, and equal in quality to those of Eric Le Sage, whose ongoing cycle of Schumann’s piano and chamber music on Alpha is superb. I prefer Hänssler’s clearer acoustic to Alpha’s more reverberant recorded sound.
FANFARE: Paul Orgel
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Works on This Recording
Sound Samples
Piano Sonata in G major, Op. 118, No. 1: I. Lebhaft
Piano Sonata in G major, Op. 118, No. 1: II. Thema mit Variationen
Piano Sonata in G major, Op. 118, No. 1: III. Puppenwiegenlied
Piano Sonata in G major, Op. 118, No. 1: IV. Rondoletto
Albumblatter, Op. 124: No. 6. Wiegenliedchen
Piano Sonata in D major, Op. 118, No. 2: I. Lebhaft
Piano Sonata in D major, Op. 118, No. 2: II. Canon
Piano Sonata in D major, Op. 118, No. 2: III. Abendlied
Piano Sonata in D major, Op. 118, No. 2: IV. Kindergesellschaft
Albumblatter, Op. 124: No. 16. Schlummerlied
Birthday Album for Marie: No. 1. Schlafliedchen fur Ludwig
Birthday Album for Marie: No. 2. Soldatenmarsch
Birthday Album for Marie: No. 3. Ein Choral
Birthday Album for Marie: No. 4. Nach vollbrachter Schularbeit zu spielen
Birthday Album for Marie: No. 5. Barentanz
Birthday Album for Marie: No. 6. Liedchen eines armen Kindes
Birthday Album for Marie: No. 7. Jagerliedchen
Birthday Album for Marie: Rebus
Album fur die Jugend (Album for the Young), Op. 68: Supplement: Anh. No. 20. Ein Stuckchen von Johann Sebastian Bach
Album fur die Jugend (Album for the Young), Op. 68: Supplement: Anh. No. 19. Ein Thema von Georg Friedrich Handel
Album fur die Jugend (Album for the Young), Op. 68: Supplement: Anh. No. 22. Klavierstuck in E flat major
Album fur die Jugend (Album for the Young), Op. 68: Supplement: Anh. No. 24. Ein Stuckchen von Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Album fur die Jugend (Album for the Young), Op. 68: Supplement: Anh. No. 25. Andante
Album fur die Jugend (Album for the Young), Op. 68: Supplement: Anh. No. 27. Eine beruhmte Melodie von Ludwig van Beethoven
Album fur die Jugend (Album for the Young), Op. 68: Supplement: Anh. No. 26. Ein Trinklied von Carl Maria von Weber
Album fur die Jugend (Album for the Young), Op. 68: Supplement: Anh. No. 29. Ein Landler von Franz Schubert
Album fur die Jugend (Album for the Young), Op. 68: Supplement: Anh. No. 6. Fur ganz Kleine
Album fur die Jugend (Album for the Young), Op. 68: Supplement: Anh. No. 17. Puppenschlafliedchen
Album fur die Jugend (Album for the Young), Op. 68: Supplement: Anh. No. 1. Auf der Gondel
Album fur die Jugend (Album for the Young), Op. 68: Supplement: Anh. No. 14. Lagune in Venedig
Album fur die Jugend (Album for the Young), Op. 68: Supplement: Anh. No. 16. *** (Praeludium)
Album fur die Jugend (Album for the Young), Op. 68: Supplement: Anh. No. 7. Fragment in A major (elaborated by F. Uhlig)
Album fur die Jugend (Album for the Young), Op. 68: Supplement: Anh. No. 11. ***
Album fur die Jugend (Album for the Young), Op. 68: Supplement: Anh. No. 15. Linke Hand, soll sich auch zeigen
Album fur die Jugend (Album for the Young), Op. 68: Supplement: Anh. No. 13. *** (Walzer) (elaborated by F. Uhlig)
Album fur die Jugend (Album for the Young), Op. 68: Supplement: Anh. No. 9. Gukkuk im Versteck
Album fur die Jugend (Album for the Young), Op. 68: Supplement: Anh. No. 10. Haschemann
Album fur die Jugend (Album for the Young), Op. 68: Supplement: Wilder Reiter
Piano Sonata in C major, Op. 118, No. 3: I. Im Marschtempo
Piano Sonata in C major, Op. 118, No. 3: II. Ausdrucksvoll
Piano Sonata in C major, Op. 118, No. 3: III. Zigeunertanz
Piano Sonata in C major, Op. 118, No. 3: IV. Traum eines Kindes
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