Recording
Title: Carnaval, Piano Sonata no.1
Performers: Evgeny Kissin
Year: 2001
Length: 31 minutes
Review
I must be a bit square when I come to classical music, but in general I much prefer more fixed structures such as the sonata than more freestyle stuff such as the previous Carnaval by Schumann. I think the longer formats help the music develop and really sink in.
So I enjoyed this sonata much more than the previous works by Schumann on this list. The first movement here is particularly great with a very interesting shift from a moody and beautiful introduction to a livelier and more passionate continuation.
The essential thing to understand about Schumann's music is the twin personalities that he described as Eusebius and Florestan, one more reserved, romantic and poetic and another one extremely passionate and extroverted. These two are very present in this sonata making for a very interesting listening experience.
Final Grade
9/10
Trivia
From Wikipedia:
Schumann has not often been confused with Austrian composer Franz Schubert, but one well-known example occurred in 1956, when East Germany issued a pair of postage stamps featuring Schumann's picture against an open score that featured Schubert's music. The stamps were soon replaced by a pair featuring music written by Schumann.
Sonata no 1, first movement:
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