Schumann
Schumann's published compositions were written exclusively for the piano until 1840; he later composed works for piano and orchestra; many Lieder (songs for voice and piano); four symphonies; an opera; and other orchestral, choral, and chamber works. Works such as Carnaval, Symphonic Studies, Kinderszenen, Kreisleriana, and the Fantasie in C are among his most famous. His writings about music appeared mostly in the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik (New Journal for Music), a Leipzig-based publication which he jointly founded.
In 1840, Schumann married Friedrich Wieck's daughter Clara, against the wishes of her father, following a long and acrimonious legal battle, which found in favor of Clara and Robert. Clara also composed music and had a considerable concert career as a pianist, the earnings from which, before her marriage, formed a substantial part of her father's fortune.
Schumann suffered from a mental disorder, first manifesting itself in 1833 as a severe melancholic depressive episode, which recurred several times alternating with phases of ‘exaltation’ and increasingly also delusional ideas of being poisoned or threatened with metallic items. After a suicide attempt in 1854, Schumann was admitted to a mental asylum, at his own request, in Endenich near Bonn. Diagnosed with "psychotic melancholia", Schumann died two years later in 1856 without having recovered from his mental illness.
Schumann
SCHUMANN Dichterliebe, Op. 48
SCHUBERT Schwanengesang, D.957
Studio recordings · 1928-29
Total duration: 73:17
Ferdinand Foll, piano
Thom Denijs, baritone
Enni Denijs-Kruyt, piano
BRAHMS Piano Trio No. 1 in B, Op. 8
SCHUMANN Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 63
Recorded 8 August 1953 at the Mozarteum, Salzburg
Total duration: 58:58
Edwin Fischer, piano
Wolfgang Schneiderhan, violin
Enrico Mainardi, cello
TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto
BRAHMS Hungarian Dances
VIVALDI Violin Sonata in D
music by Ravel, Sarasate, Schubert, Schumann, Wieniawski, Zarzycki, Godard, Svendsen, Toselli, Tobani, Lange
Studio recordings, 1921-1945
Total duration: 2hr 3:22
Erica Morini, violin
Alice Morini, piano
Emanuel Balaban, piano
Sàndor Vas, piano
Kurt Hetzel, piano
Nathaniel Shilkret, piano
Max Lanner, piano
Artur Balsam, piano
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
conducted by Désiré Defauw
GRIEG Haugtussa, Op. 67
BRAHMS, SCHUBERT, CHARLES Short songs
Studio recordings, 1950 and 1952
Total duration: 76:59
Edwin McArthur piano
BACH Orchestral Suite No. 2
DOHNÁNYI Suite in F-sharp minor
SCHUMANN Symphony No., "Spring"
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 5
music by Dvořák, Glazunov, Glinka, Smenata, Strauss, Suk, Wagner
Studio recordings, 1925-29
Total duration: 2hr 34:06
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
conducted by Frederick Stock
BRAHMS Symphony No. 1
BRAHMS Symphony No. 2
BRAHMS Symphony No. 3
BRAHMS Symphony No. 4
BRAHMS Double Concerto
BRAHMS Violin Concerto
BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 2
BRAHMS Variations on a Theme by Joseph Haydn
BRAHMS Hungarian Dances Nos. 1, 2, 10
BRAHMS Variations on a Theme by Haydn
SCHUMANN Piano Concerto in A minor
Willi Boskovsky, Emanuel Brabec, Yehudi Menuhin, Edwin Fischer, Walter Gieseking
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Lucerne Festival Orchestra
Recorded 1942-1952
conducted by Wilhelm Furtwängler
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BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 2
SCHUMANN Piano Concerto in A minor
Recorded in 1942
Total duration: 77:26
Edwin Fischer, piano (Brahms)
Walter Gieseking, piano (Schumann)
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler