ALC 0177 Schumann: Intermezzi, Op. 4 - Impromptus, Op. 5 - Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Op. 26

The programme of this album outlines a fundamental evolutionary arc in Robert Schumann’s (1810–1856) piano production, moving from the experimental audacity of his youth to the mature formal synthesis of his Viennese period.
Intermezzi, Op. 4 (1832)
Schumann sought and found his unmistakable style in an "aphoristic" music, strongly influenced by the Romantic literature of the era, where "speaking figures" (figure parlanti) frolic like actors upon a stage. Thus were born Papillons Op. 2 and, shortly after, the Intermezzi Op. 4, which he himself defined as "longer Papillons."
Impromptus on a Theme by Clara Wieck, Op. 5 (1833) – 1850 Version
This work marks a crucial moment: the artistic and sentimental encounter with the very young Clara Wieck. Schumann utilized a theme written by Clara herself (Romance Op. 3) to build a series of variations in a "new form." He precedes the theme with a basso ostinato (ground bass) present in all variations—a technique that recalls the Baroque tradition, here transfigured into a dreamlike and modern atmosphere.
Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Op. 26 (1839)
Composed during his stay in Vienna, the "Carnival Jest from Vienna" is a large-scale work in five movements, described by the composer as a "Grand Romantic Sonata."