THE SCHUMANN PROJECT - MAIN PAGE
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
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
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
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