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Robert Schumann's Piano Works by Fabio Grasso

 

The SCHUMANN PROJECT is a thematic non-chronological route that presents performances and commentaries of Schumann's piano works by Fabio Grasso.

 

The pieces are grouped in 9 programmes, according to their degree of affinity as regards aesthetic, literary, biographical, inspirational and compositional background, even in spite of their possible great time severance.

Since 2013 the seasons of AGIMUS VENEZIA propose Fabio Grasso's recitals with these programmes.

Some links to commented recordings are available from this page.

 

Only few works are excluded from the project. for personal aesthetic choices of the interpreter, or because some of them are not easily insertable in a programme of a public concert. They are the Etudes op. 3 and op. 10, the Allegro op. 8, the fugues op. 72 and op. 126, and the pieces specifically composed "for the youth" ("für die Jugend") op. 68 and 118.

 

 

List of the public recitals and links to the details:

 

n. 1: November 22nd 2013 - Page of the event

n. 2: September 27th 2014 - Page of the event

n. 3: September 19th 2015 - Page of the event

n. 4: October 8th 2016 - Page of the event

n. 5: October 7th 2017 - Page of the event

n. 6: September 22nd 2018 - Page of the event

n. 7: December 14th 2019 - Page of the event

 

n. 8 Part A: STREAMING Saturday March 27 2021 5:30PM

Watch from this website: www.rosenfinger.com/schumannproject08011.htm

 

n. 8 Part B: ONLINE LECTURE RECITAL: Bunte Blätter op. 99

Watch from this website: http://www.rosenfinger.com/schumannproject08099.htm

If possible, the concert n. 8 B will be proposed live for AgimusVenezia in November 2021, with Bunte Blätter op. 99 and 4 Marches op. 76

 

RECITAL PROGRAMMES

 

 

N. 1: THE MASK - about 80’

Jean Paul as polar star for Schumann’s education and aesthetic direction.

Flegeljahre: from Walt and Vult to Florestan and Eusebius.

Enigma and irony. Masks, dances and Carnival.

 

Papillons op. 2, Faschingsschwank aus Wien (Vienna Carnival) op. 26,

Blumenstück op. 19, Carnaval op. 9

AVAILABLE PERFORMANCE AND COMMENTARY

Blumenstück op. 19

 

 

N. 2: THE "DAVIDSBÜNDLER" - about 75’

Evolution of Jean Paul's influence and some traces of Goethe.

The inner restlessness and the formal research.

Early premonitions and memories as foundations of the musical structures.

The fall of the masks.

 

Intermezzi op. 4, Sonata op. 22 in G minor, Toccata op. 7,

Davidsbündlertänze op. 6

AVAILABLE PERFORMANCE AND COMMENTARY

Sonata op. 22

Download Italian essay about op. 4

 

 

N. 3: "PHANTÁSMATA" - about 70’

E. T. A. Hoffmann: the Phantasiestück and its artistic, literary and musical tradition,

Oneiric world (presaging Heine-Lieder), synaesthesia, obsessions and Mephistophelean shadows.

Kreisler as tragically premonitory figure.

 

Phantasiestücke op. 12, Geistervariationen op. posth. Anh. F39,

Kreisleriana op. 16

 

Download Italian essay about op. 16

 

 

N. 4: THE NARRATION - about 75’

Beyond Hoffmann: the amplitude of the literary interests and the "novelty" of the "Novelletten".

The modern conception of the relation between music and inspiring literature.

 

Drei Romanzen op. 28, Drei Phantasiestücke op. 111, Novelletten op. 21

AVAILABLE PERFORMANCE AND COMMENTARY

Novelletten op. 21

 

 

N. 5: DIE INNERE STIMME - about 70’

Eichendorff and the recollection of childhood. The aesthetic vision of Jean Paul.

The inner voices from Abegg through the Kinderszenen until to the Humoreske, whose smiling sadness foresees a turning point in Schumann's creative life.

 

Vier Klavierstücke op. 32, Abegg Variationen op. 1,

Kinderszenen op. 15, Humoreske op. 20

 

 

N. 6: "DIE MELODIE DES MORGENLICHTS" - about 75’

Diotima and Hyperion: Hölderlin's auroral gleams. Robert and Clara: Beethoven's "ferne Geliebte", Schlegel's "Sehnsucht" and "Ruhe".

 

Gesänge der Frühe op. 133, Impromptus op. 5 über ein Thema von Clara Wieck

Arabeske op. 18, Phantasie op. 17

 

 

N. 7: WALD- UND NACHTSCHAUER - about 70’

A typically Romantic antithesis: Idyllic pictures and mysterious shadows of Nature (from Eichendorff and Heine). The dark side of the human soul (from Hoffmann).

 

Waldscenen op. 82, Nachtstücke op. 23, Sonata op. 14 in F minor

 

 

N. 8A: The Sonata op. 11 - Between structural innovation and Goethean inspiration

Streaming lecture recital

Watch from this website: www.rosenfinger.com/schumannproject08011.htm

 

n. 8 Part B: The Bunte Blätter op. 99 - The colors of memories, the steps of a farewell

Online Lecture-RecitaL

Watch from this website: http://www.rosenfinger.com/schumannproject08099.htm

 

The live version of 8B, without lecture, includes the 4 Marches op. 76

 

N. 9: “IM LIED DAS TIEFE LEID”- about 70’

The art of the polyptych: Gestaltung, variation, memories, inner diary, concealed messages

 

Albumblätter op. 124

Symphonische Etüden op. 13 + 5 Posth. Variationen