"Clara Schumann: A Musical Pioneer and Composer You Should Know" (feat. Orli Shaham and Romanze op.21)
Join Orli Shaham for an exploration into the life and work of the musical icon: Clara Schumann. This presentation also features a lesson on the 3 Romanzes op.21, some of the most emotionally gripping music Clara ever composed. In the Spring of 1855, while their new friend Johannes Brahms was visiting an ailing Robert Schumann at the sanatorium in Endenich, the 35-year-old Clara Schumann feverishly composed a new Romance to go in place of the first of her set of three from two years prior. The emotions the busy performer, wife and mother must have been feeling during this tumultuous time saturate these pieces. In these works, we can hear the hand of a mature composer, one who has interacted with all the piano music of her day and of the past, and one who was a seasoned performer. Join us as we explore these three beautifully subtle works and the difficulties they present.
Follow this event link to tune in!
https://app.tonebase.co/piano/live/player/pno-clara-schumann-life-romanze-op21-orli-shaham
We are going to be using this thread to gather suggestions and questions!
- What questions do you have on this topic?
- Any particular area you would like me to focus on?
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Schumman Romanze No.1 Questions:
(1) I am not quite sure which direction of my wrist movement should be used If I want to play descending left hand octaves accurately. It is difficult for me to play the Left Hand wide leaps accurately and in a relaxing way.
Schumman Romanze No.3 Questions:
(2) If I want to play the Left Hand Arpeggios smoothly and make some shapes these five bars, can I play them one movement each bar?
(3) It is challenging for me to play the Left Hand wide leaps accurately in quick tempo.
It would be much appreciated if you could answer my questions above. Thanks so much!
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This is the book by Eugenie Schumann. She was the youngest child and never met her father.
https://www.amazon.com/Schumanns-Johannes-Brahms-Schumann-Daughter/dp/0359747779
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Really enjoyed this presentation! These pieces are also in an urtext collection by Breitkopf & Hārtel called “Johannes Brahms and his Friends”. Easy to read and good quality paper. It includes a picture of p1 of the autograph of the first romanze.
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Thank you to Orli for this lesson! I enjoyed the poetry reading at the beginning. Beautiful delivery by Orli. Thank you, Dominic, for meticulously and astutely displaying, inserting, circling, writing or enlarging the screen, as always, all the important information as the lesson unfolded. You do so to greatest effect. Superb and very satisfying. This level of excellence and engagement is the gold standard.
Orli's knowledge, sensitivity, insight and articulation (both musically and speaking) was wonderful. I enjoyed it thoroughly. What a thoughtful and appreciative approach to Clara's music. Speaking to Clara being the "master of the missing note" and the way "we have been completely transformed by the journey"...so beautifully said. Yes!
Thank you to everyone who asked questions, too.
