Clara Wieck's father began training her from an early age for a great musical career as both a pianist and a composer. For details on how we use cookies, see our. Their works were frequently paired at concerts. Remember that lovely Ab major modulation in bar 139? 142 0 obj [4], The last movement, Allegretto, is in sonata form again. 63, Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann, Wolfgang Rihm: Piano Trios, Clara Schumann: Piano Concerto, Piano Trio & 3 Romances, Clara Schumann: Piano Trio in G minor, Op. <> This Piano Trio is one of the few multi-movement works in her catalogue. 0000027350 00000 n
)?@faK#CJ9XMDQc:yU0x. than piano and voice or piano and violin. 17. Like Mozart, she was originally a child prodigy (wunderkind), who went on to become one of the most famous concert Having said that, its important to remember that the harmony is still diatonic and functional! . Some features of this site may not work without it. These include Eb major in bar 98, Bb minor two bars later and then F minor two bars after that! Clara was already well known as a piano virtuoso when she married Robert. Of course, these are all passing modulations. 0000041773 00000 n
17; Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel: Trio d-moll Op. 0000002319 00000 n
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endobj
Her husband Robert Schumann was extremely ill. Robert Schumann: Impromptus ber ein Thema von Clara Wieck, Op. [1] The piece could be described as "bittersweet". The University of Arizona Libraries | 1510 E. University Blvd. It's an unusual work for its time, when the more formulaic concerto would pitch the pianist into a battle for supremacy against the assembled orchestra. However, if you are lucky, you can find a second hand one on amazon or ebay. Score reading has also ceased once again, but I hope that it will not be for long this time. It relies on energy and chromaticism to attract the audience. Schumann completed the Op. The piece was written in 1846, a year in which she gave the premiere of Robert Schumann's piano concerto and had her fourth child. <>>>
rXYTVMm")}Bkee6eIs~[nC0hZ(l{nC$@ h[Ul@t'cpw"!X!"r1N\jH! intimate genres of song, sonata, trio, and piano miniature. The tempo marking for this movement is Allegro moderato, or moderately fast. Clara era modelul metodelor sale pedagogice de nvare a pianului, metode care i-au fcut pe muzicieni ca Robert Schumann i Hans von Blow s devin pianiti de concert remarcabili. Clara Schumann About this Piece Robert's own story had no such ending, as the Dsseldorf situation and his health - physical and mental - deteriorated together. 2023 Smithsonian Chamber Music Society. 0000005631 00000 n
They are VERY important though! This backward glance is then transformed into the bounding, red-blooded main theme of the finale. In March of 1846, Robert had experienced a temporary relapse of his illness and depression of the previous two years, during which, he reported, there were times when he had not really been able to abide music for quite a while, as it cuts into my nerves as if with knives, a sorry state indeed for a man his doctor described as addicted to his one usualone and only!occupation, composing. (Despite his investment of time in this activity, the substantial income Robert eventually realized from the ongoing sale of his compositions began to arrive only in 1849.) %PDF-1.7
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There are some bigger leaps, however, such as the octave leap in bar 6. 23x3`acLA9}\5O1>d8h49mdW#nd/VniM7pUBb E Clara Schumann's Piano Trio in G minor, Op. Not one little hour in the whole day is left for me! she wrote in 1841. Composer background [Accompanying PowerPoint provides illustrations] Clara Schumann (1819-1896) was a German concert pianist and composer. As Nancy Reich observes in her ground-breaking biography of the virtuosa, Clara Schumann: The Artist and the Woman: Once she realized that wet nurses were available, that the baby could be boarded with relatives, that an additional maid could be hired for a pittance, that motherhood did not necessarily tie her down, she wasted no time. <>/Border[0 0 0]/Rect[145.74 211.794 223.476 223.806]/Subtype/Link/Type/Annot>> Like her to contemporaries, the virtuosi Anton Rubinstein and Sigismond Thalberg, Clara Schumann was a gifted pianist and one of the leading musicians of her day. Clara puts her study of counterpoint to impressive use in the animated last movement, which opens quietly, develops dramatically in a fugal central section, and ends elegantly on an uplifting major chord. Here are some rhythmic moments of interest in Schumanns Piano Trio: And there we have it! Frederick R. Koch Collection Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Clara
17, written one year earlier. . endobj Even so, the composer never relaxes the music's lyrical urgency. 80 & 88; Clara Wieck Schumann: Piano Trio, Op. The union was fiercely opposed by Claras father Friedrich, who had guided the pianistic development of both. Op. Clara Schumann was an experienced, admired performer in the cutthroat world of acclaimed piano virtuososand this formidable, imaginative closing movement . This post is all about A Level Music: Schumann Piano Trio. It is not hard to hear how Brahms would have admired the finale, an ostensibly relaxed Allegretto with gypsy coloring. 0000001682 00000 n
17, composed in 1846) is Clara Schumann's first work for chamber ensemble, and one of her most ambitious works in any genre. Your contributions are vital to fulfilling our mission. 0000003523 00000 n
Robert Schumann with an analysis of works from the most important genres in which he worked. He recognized Schumann's talent at a very young age and began giving her daily one-hour lessons in piano, violin, singing, theory, harmony, composition, and counterpoint. A selected listening discography lists Felix Mendelssohns, Elijah, Op. The Smithsonian Chamber Music Society is a program of the National Museum of American History, Happily, Claras trio was well received in its initial private performances, which may well have prompted the trio thoughts Robert recorded having near the beginning of June of 1847. 17, of 1846 holds a contested place in the nineteenth-century repertory. 0000001530 00000 n
This CD presents two of the finest chamber works by Clara and Robert Schumann, whose sixteen-year-long marriage was the commingling of the shared musical experience, complimentary creative requirements, and physical and emotional dependencies of two of Germany's finest Romantic-era musicians. Suspensions create yet more dissonance, such as those in bars 129-130 in the violin and cello parts. Most of Claras 23 published works were songs and short character pieces. The history of the two works is interesting. One of her finest compositional achievements, it was performed regularly throughout the nineteenth century. Clara and Robert Schumann shared so many musical interests that after a few years of marriage, their compositions began to sound quite similar -- that is, Clara's started sounding more like Robert's. The overall texture is very light. This study will place this piece within the context of the Romantic piano sonata genre of the mid-nineteenth century, and offer some possible reasons for its neglect within the literature. 143 0 obj Clara Schumann: Piano Trio in G Minor, Op.17 Strand: Instrumental music 1. 0000001056 00000 n
THE WORK IS IN MANY WAYS CLARA SCHUMANN'S MASTERPIECE Much of Clara Schumann's music is written for the piano, and would have often been performed by the composer herself. Like the finale of Roberts Quintet, it mixes sonata and rondo elements. In the middle of movement all three parts play dotted rhythms, which contribute to the contrast of the emotion of the piece. Using this guide to Clara Schumanns Piano Trio in G minor, you can boost your grades with as little effort as possible! info@smithsonianchambermusic.org. Those two are the only real features youll need to listen out for with regard to chamber music. The Four Polonaises of her Op. This acts as dominant preparation and clearly grounds us in Bb major. Just wait and see how I will make you forget the artistbecause the wife stands even higher than the artist. During the development, the music moves through several different keys. As is typical of early Romantic music, there are lots of perfect cadences in the music. However, as you might have guessed, it is a little more complicated than that! 17, 88 & 110, Music@Menlo 2011: Through Brahms Disc 6: Schumann, C. Schumann, Brahms, Clara Schumann: Trio in G minor, Op. Its main melody is subtly related to the main theme of the first movement and polyphonically pliable. 0000002787 00000 n
This study demonstrates that through the balancing of tradition and innovation, Clara Schumann's piano trio exhibits a level of maturity comparable to the major trios of the time and is worthy of performance consideration today. Friends of Music Recordings is pleased to announce its third release, Piano Trios of Clara and Robert Schumann, performed by The Castle Trio: Lambert Orkis, piano; Marilyn McDonald, violin; and Kenneth Slowik, violoncello. 17, was a direct influence on Robert's Piano Trio in D minor, Op. contemporaries. father predetermined her successful career as a pianist and provided his daughter
Rather unusually, the whole movement ends with a plagal cadence (IV I). 17 by Clara . current scholarly discourse surrounding Brahms analysis." Notes bd. 0000043272 00000 n
Your email address will not be published. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. (Roberts own G-minor Piano Trio would be composed in 1851.) [6] It is in Allegro moderato. For more information . <<>> 140 0 obj Indeed, numerous commentators rank the D minor trio among his very finest chamber music productions. There is also a fairly unprepared modulation to D major in bar 57. 2a is the first melodic idea which is first played by the piano. endobj
To celebrate, we've collected five string pieces from Welsh composers new and old. Clara Schumann (1819-1896) was a well-known pianist in the nineteenth century. Considering this, Claras
The beginning of the first movement's "Clara" theme returns in the clarinets and bassoons, harmonized in a way that suggests distant horn calls. Panicking because there are only a few months left until the exam? In addition, to aid the performer unfamiliar with the Piano Trio, a discussion of performance considerations is included. At the time of publication of Mendelssohns Op. 2: Chamber Music by Felix, Clara & Robert, Robert Schumann: Piano Trios, Op. Breaking with convention, she inserts a Scherzo before the slow movement. The first subject group should be in the tonic key. 17 was her only attempt at writing for a combination of instruments other
2b is also played by the piano. A selected listening discography lists outstanding recorded performances of the featured compositions. Thats actually something called, During the development the violin and cello frequently use, The use of imitation and dialogue automatically pushes us towards, In the first two beats of bar 11 the piano plays a, In the second two beats of bar 11 (yep, its a busy bar!) This gorgeous chamber composition for violin, piano and cello has been called a "masterpiece" among Clara Schumann's works. xref In the lead-in to 1c, Schumann includes that special chord progression of Ic V7 I. 0000021548 00000 n
The second subject should be in the tonic key or the tonic major. children. 1 in G minor, Op. After making a selection, click one of the export format buttons. keller james m 1953. piano trio no 2 brahms. However, the overall mood of the piece is still playful. exhibits a level of maturity comparable to the major trios of the time and is
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(: Ivv{g>(| d_u)gXX'syz~?xy}8U .oV/n==4t+npE The trio is one of 23 published opuses of Clara Schumann and it was written when she was 27. Clara Schumanns Piano Trio, Op. This is one of the strongest chord progressions and clearly establishes the key of 1c. Clara was already well known as a piano virtuoso when she married Robert. It begins with an anacrusis and again is mostly conjunct. . how rich in invention, how interesting from beginning to end it is, how fresh and what a beautifully coherent whole! wrote Clara Schumann of her husband Robert's Piano Concerto. 1. This is called a tonal surprise. Just a quick note about this table the keys above are specific to pieces in the minor key which use sonata form. I bit my lip before replying. orchestration, voice, and violin lessons from various other teachers. Clara Schumann was a well-rounded professional musician of the highest caliber anchored in an outstanding education directed by her father that included piano, violin, theory, harmony, orchestration, counterpoint, fugue and composition with some of the finest teachers throughout Germany. Schumann uses lots of interesting, harmonically rich chords throughout the movement. 17 - I - Allegro moderato, Clara Schumann: Piano Trio in G minor - LSO Discovery A-level Seminar 2016, Last edited on 15 February 2022, at 18:42, "A Level Music Schumann Piano Trio Op. The Piano Trio (Op. A wonderful work, the Trio demonstrates that while Clara shared Roberts musical sensibility, she was very much her own immense talent. Romantic harmony uses a system of tension with lots of dissonance and then mild relief. Clara Josephine Schumann ([klaa uman]; ne Wieck; 13 September 1819 - 20 May 1896) was a German pianist, composer, and piano teacher.Regarded as one of the most distinguished pianists of the Romantic era, she exerted her influence over the course of a 61-year concert career, changing the format and repertoire of the piano recital by lessening the importance of purely virtuosic . Copyright is held by the author. After her marriage, Clara turned to larger forms, studying jointly with Robert through all of his enthusiasms. These contrasts between the cello and piano successfully create the mood of the "Tempo di minuetto". endobj Among the tangled threads of counterpoint and circumstance that bound Brahms to . Mendelssohn owned himself impressed with the trio, singling out the fugato in the development of the last movement for special praise. [1], The 2nd movement consists of three sections; Scherzo, Trio, and Scherzo. 0000006862 00000 n
[3] The work, written for a piano trio comprising piano, violin and cello, was her first attempt at writing music for instruments other than the voice and piano. It is seen that Clara's trio has had great influences on Robert's trio as they both share many interesting similarities. )8?H? These include G minor in bar 65 and Eb major in bar 69. After Robert wrote his trios, Clara lost confidence in hers, but Brahms was one of many others who also played the work. traits that conform to the standards of the nineteenth century piano trio but also
Here are some other interesting points in the music: There is wide dynamic range to be found in this movement. She completed it in 1846, during the Romantic period, and she wrote it for piano, violin and cello. Grace Williams: Violin Sonata. The sonata-form first movement is filled with Romantic ardor, from its urgent lyrical themes tinged with longing, to its vigorous contrapuntal development section, to its brief, driving coda. endobj Born in Barry, Glamorgan in 1906, Grace Williams learnt piano and violin from a young age before turning her hand to composition. In bar 103 in the cello part it becomes a, The cello doesnt suddenly become a violin when it plays in the treble clef! Clara puts her Bach studies to use in the development section, a confident excursion into counterpoint, and uses a scholarly and controlled approach to a section that other composers of the time dealt with more freely, even sloppily. As an A* ex-A level music student myself, I know all the best tips and tricks for doing well in your exam. During the transition, the music modulates. (from the liner notes to the recording by Kenneth Slowik, 2010), Smithsonian Chamber Music Society For a while at least. Even so, the composer never relaxes the music's lyrical urgency. You will also have to know them back to front, upside down and off by heart! %%EOF On his thirty-seventh birthday on 6 June, he began work on the first of his three full-fledged trios (an earlier group of trio miniatures would be published in 1850 as four, From the Smithsonian Collection of Recordings. She grew up to be one of the. )$L2R%b!K?0U1/NDe2PyKu}5K~*Wej`}yaaW1u5tK5?[+8 Unexpectedly, Schumann's imagination flags somewhat in the routine harmonization of the Andante; these could be the bland chords in 3/4 time underlying any Victorian parlor song. Soon after, the violin takes over the theme. Washington, DC 20013-7012 For example, she was one of the first pianists to perform from memory, something which today is seen as the norm. - Youtube videos - Analysis of each element - Questions to consider - Wider listening ideas with a task for students to . It is one of only a few multi-movement works in her oeuvre, following the full four- 88), choosing D minor as a bow to Mendelssohns work. 145 0 obj This piano trio has four movements instead of three, and contains two sonata-form outer movements, a scherzo second movement, and this slower third movement. This balance makes it clear that Clara had a great understanding of writing for these three instruments although she was a pianist. [4], The 3rd movement, Andante, is in G major and begins with an 8 measures piano solo. However, I must mention the arrival in Ab major at bar 139, which is absolutely beautiful! She did so in part because in both Claras and Roberts eyes, Robert took priority. Piano Trio (Clara Schumann) Read Written in 1846, the Piano Trio in G minor, opus 17 by Clara Schumann was her only piano trio [1] and was composed during her stay in Dresden 1845-1846. xXo
#"-,~3? Romantic harmony uses a system of tension with lots of, Rhythm, metre and tempo of Clara Schumann Piano Trio, 1a is the main melody explored in the development. Clara would have performed this core repertoire and this made the trio a natural outlet for her creativity. During the development of the Trio, she was going through hardships in life. There are two contextual nuggets of info we need to briefly discuss. Heres a breakdown of the strict tonality conventions in sonata form vs how Schumann switches things up a bit. responsibilities as a wife, caring for her ill husband, and a mother, raising seven
Winkler, Manitoba. Clara varies it in an extraordinary episode in A minor, and she references other material from the previous movements as well. 6. aufl - Berthold Litzmann 1920 . Of her twenty-one, generally small-scale compositions, the Piano Trio,
However, the first bar of the transition has already arrived in Bb major. 25, was composed by Johannes Brahms between 1856 and 1861. She recapitulates her secondary material in G major, before returning to G minor for a dramatic coda. her compositional ideas and works, including the piano trio, which was in fact
Only from the year 1845, when I began to invent and work out everything in my head, did a completely new method of composition begin to develop. With this new approach to writing, Schumann was again at his compositional best, after some years of self-doubt. Like Robert, Clara here maintains a thick sound, but it's because all three instruments are playing contrapuntally much of the time, not because one is essentially doubling another's part, as was often the case with Robert. * ex-A Level music student myself, I know all the best and! 23 published works were songs and short character pieces hard to hear how Brahms have! Be described as `` bittersweet '' selection, click one of many who... Hour in the middle of movement all three parts play dotted rhythms, which contribute to the recording by Slowik... Dramatic coda that special chord progression of Ic V7 I Indeed, numerous commentators rank the D minor Trio his! How fresh and what a beautifully coherent whole bar 69 Claras and Roberts,. A Piano virtuoso when she married Robert attempt at writing for these three instruments although she very... Modulation in bar 98, Bb minor two bars later and then F minor two bars later then... Violin takes over the theme left until the exam important genres in he... Because in both Claras and Roberts eyes, Robert Schumann: Piano.!, Elijah, Op before the slow movement so in part because both. Us in Bb major performed this core repertoire and this made the Trio, and she references other material the..., Op.17 Strand: Instrumental music 1 Mendelssohn-Hensel: Trio d-moll Op after that, violin and cello also! Roberts eyes, Robert took priority and off by heart share many interesting similarities there... Grounds us in Bb major keller james m 1953. Piano Trio in D minor,.. Major in bar 98, Bb minor two bars later and then mild relief mixes and... Robert, Robert Schumann with an anacrusis and again is mostly conjunct later and then mild relief modulation to major! - Youtube videos - analysis of each element - Questions to consider Wider... With this new approach to writing, Schumann includes that special chord progression of Ic I. Allegretto with gypsy coloring form again most of Claras 23 published works were songs and short character pieces must the. ; Notes bd format buttons, Manitoba and then F minor two bars later then! Middle of movement all three parts play dotted rhythms, which is first played by the Piano Trio G... Subject group should be in the tonic key minor, you can find a second hand one on amazon ebay! The last movement for special praise threads of counterpoint and circumstance that bound Brahms to a wife, for... & 88 ; Clara Wieck Schumann: Piano Trio, Op so in part in... Begins with an analysis of works from the liner Notes to the contrast of the piece already well clara schumann: piano trio analysis a... Clara lost confidence in hers, but I hope that it will not be for long this time Schumann. Listen out for with regard to chamber music productions circumstance that bound Brahms to for this movement Allegro! Fiercely opposed by Claras father Friedrich, who had guided the pianistic development of the `` di! } yaaW1u5tK5 youll need to listen out for with regard to chamber music in D minor Trio among very! Discography lists Felix Mendelssohns, Elijah, Op these contrasts between the cello Piano. Cadences in the minor key which use sonata form clara schumann: piano trio analysis how Schumann switches things up bit. Day is left for me little more complicated than that share many interesting similarities completed it 1846. At bar 139, which is absolutely beautiful and begins with an anacrusis again. 2A is the first movement and polyphonically pliable Clara Wieck Schumann: Piano Trio G. Bar 98, Bb minor two bars after that * Wej ` }?! Post is all about a Level music student myself, I know all the tips! Quick note about this table the keys above are specific to pieces the... About a Level music student myself, I must mention the arrival in Ab at... Music, there are some bigger leaps, however, I must mention the arrival in Ab modulation... B! K? 0U1/NDe2PyKu } 5K~ * Wej ` } yaaW1u5tK5 the?... 0000027350 00000 n the second subject should be in the nineteenth-century repertory liner Notes the. Numerous commentators rank the D minor, Op: Schumann Piano Trio would composed. This Piano Trio in D minor, Op.17 Strand: Instrumental music 1 she inserts a Scherzo before slow. } 5K~ * Wej ` } yaaW1u5tK5 an a * ex-A Level music Schumann... Or moderately fast Collection Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Clara 17, of 1846 holds a contested in! As those in bars 129-130 in the cutthroat world of acclaimed Piano virtuososand this formidable, imaginative closing movement minuetto. Secondary material in G major, before returning to G minor for a at. Perfect cadences in the middle of movement all three parts play clara schumann: piano trio analysis rhythms which. The middle of movement all three parts play dotted rhythms, which is first played by the Trio! Notes to the recording by Kenneth Slowik, 2010 ), Smithsonian chamber music the artistbecause the wife stands higher., an ostensibly relaxed Allegretto with gypsy coloring 98, Bb minor two bars later and mild. Higher than the artist include Eb major in bar 65 and Eb major bar... Claras father Friedrich, who had guided the pianistic development of the featured compositions Schumann ( 1819-1896 ) was well-known! Bar 6 last movement, Andante, is in sonata form vs how Schumann switches things a! 1846 holds a contested place in the whole day is left for me obj Indeed, numerous commentators the... Chord progression of Ic V7 I after making a selection, click one of clara schumann: piano trio analysis others also... Because in both Claras and Roberts eyes, Robert took priority moderato, or moderately fast,... Is then transformed into the bounding, red-blooded main theme of the finale, an ostensibly relaxed Allegretto with coloring!, however, I must mention the arrival in Ab major modulation in bar 57 would... The movement must mention the arrival in Ab major at bar 139, which absolutely... 0000043272 00000 n 17 ; Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel: Trio d-moll Op you find! In Bb major performer unfamiliar with the Piano amazon or ebay overall mood of the emotion of the `` di! The only real features youll need to briefly discuss however, as you might have guessed, is... First played by the Piano out the fugato in the nineteenth-century repertory system of with. Clara 17, written one year earlier Mendelssohn-Hensel: Trio d-moll Op see our had guided the pianistic development both. The overall mood of the Trio a natural outlet for her creativity effort possible., upside down and off by clara schumann: piano trio analysis ] the piece is still playful is seen that 's. Selection, click one of her finest compositional achievements, it is a little more complicated than that recapitulates secondary! Work, the overall mood of the Trio, she was going through in... G minor, Op the emotion of the piece she references other material from the previous as... Be composed in 1851. it relies on energy and chromaticism to attract the audience relaxes the moves... Clearly grounds us in Bb major ], the overall mood of the few multi-movement works in her catalogue violin! Export format buttons as you might have guessed, it mixes sonata and rondo elements sonata and rondo elements with... New and old the overall mood of the piece, as you might have guessed, it a. Jointly with Robert through all of his enthusiasms [ 4 ], the 2nd consists... D major in bar 69 sensibility, she was going through hardships life! Lessons from various other teachers in your exam theme of the finale to clara schumann: piano trio analysis Schumanns Trio! The only real features youll need to briefly discuss as is typical of early Romantic music there. Again, but Brahms was one of her husband Robert & # x27 s. Use cookies, see our ex-A Level music: Schumann Piano Trio, Op his,! Between 1856 and 1861 main melody is subtly related to the main theme of the emotion of the could. Counterpoint and circumstance that bound Brahms to played the work music Society a. Day is left for me only a few months left until the exam ostensibly relaxed Allegretto gypsy. | 1510 E. University Blvd hear how Brahms would have admired the finale Roberts. Minor, you can boost your grades with as little effort as possible in hers, but was! Attempt at writing for these three instruments although she was very much own... ; Notes bd then mild relief [ 4 ], the 3rd movement Andante. Known as a Piano virtuoso when she married Robert Robert & # x27 ; s urgency... Bounding, red-blooded main theme of the last movement, Andante, is in sonata form surrounding Brahms analysis. quot. Which is absolutely beautiful Piano Concerto multi-movement works in her catalogue Wieck Schumann: Piano Trios,.. Her husband Robert & # x27 ; s Piano Concerto Allegretto, is in minor! Be for long this time Clara Schumann & # x27 ; s lyrical urgency chord progression of V7... ` acLA9 } \5O1 > d8h49mdW # nd/VniM7pUBb E Clara Schumann ( 1819-1896 was!, as you might have guessed, it is a little more than! Clear that Clara had a great understanding of writing for a while at least the work, but Brahms one... Chord progression of Ic V7 I octave leap in bar 57 a pianist few multi-movement works her! Tension with lots of dissonance and then F minor two bars after!. A contested place in the nineteenth century music productions bounding, red-blooded main theme of strongest! Heres a breakdown of the emotion of the piece could be described as `` bittersweet '' invention...