"That who does not play together with the piano - does not play on it at all"
R. Schumann

Robert Schumann was a musician with particularly delicate psyche. He did not become an outstanding pianist due to his finger injury; however, this helped his composing talent declare itself in full. Schumann's music illuminates a human being heart deepest shades and intonations. Few romantic composers could compete with Schumann's sensitivity to the nuances of a human soul, the sounding of which he conveyed in his works. “Nothing meaningful is created in art without enthusiasm” – these words of the composer reveal the authentic essence of his artistic explorations. Being an artist that subtly sensitive and attentive to the world around him, Schumann could not stay away and express no reaction to the events that took place in the period of his creative work. He succumbed enthusiastically to the influence of the era of revolutions and national liberation wars that shocked Europe in the first half of the 19^th century.

Schumann's contemporaries perceived his work as a mysterious phenomenon. New images and forms, the composer’s peculiar musical language were unusual and complicated for the perception of the audience; they required attentive listening and emotional wringer from an ordinary listener. None of Schumann West European contemporaries, except Chopin, possessed such passion and variety of emotional nuances and accents. For the first time so precise and vivid portraits, sketches and scenes appeared in the instrumental music thanks to Schumann. The composer used to say: “I am concerned about everything that happens in this world – politics, literature and people; I think about all this in my own way, and then it all seek to emerge, looks for expression and spills over in music”.

Schumann’s novelty of thinking, peculiar and original musical language and mood variations, bizarre images that appear by means of melody and harmony and unusually flexible rhythm were clearly demonstrated in his piano music and his vocal lyrics.

For the composer's birth anniversary, we digitized his Concert for piano and orchestra in A minor, Op. 54, which Schumann wrote in 1845. It is the most well-known work of this genre in the German music of the Romantic era.

The three-part concerto opens with an affettuoso Allegro, which introduces the piano with a majestic and emotional theme, setting the stage for the pianist's technical mastery an unfolding of a vivid musical narrative. The orchestra and piano engage in a captivating dialogue, interweaving melodic lines and virtuosic passages.
The second movement, Intermezzo: Andantino grazioso, unfolds with a lyrical and introspective melody that embodies the essence of romantic expression. The piano takes centre stage, engaging in a heartfelt conversation with the orchestra, weaving a tapestry of emotions from gentle self-analysis to soaring passion, captivating the listener with its exquisite beauty and emotional depth.

The concert culminates in the third movement, Allegro vivace, an energetic and vibrant finale that radiates joyful energy and technical brilliance. The piano and orchestra engage in a thrilling dialogue with cascading arpeggios, brilliant passages and sparkling themes that evoke a sense of triumphant celebration, bringing the concert to an exciting conclusion.

Schumann's concerto requires a high level of technical skill from the soloist, but virtuosity is not the main focus here. Even the solo cadenza in the first movement is devoid of external showiness. Its symphonic development and focused, personal style of expression give Schumann's concerto a special place among the romantic examples of the genre.

Schumann wanted to compose a piano concerto when he was still training to become a pianist himself. But in his early creative period, Schumann was unsuccessful in his concertos. The fact is that piano concertos at that time were expected to be brilliant and expressive. The early Schumann was not in tune with this style of composition.

Even the dramatic moments in his works still implied a different approach to sound and melody than was customary for concerts. Schumann himself understood this. But by the early 1840s, having already composed three sonatas and his first symphony, Schumann was able to realise his dream.
The premiere of the complete work took place on December 4, 1845 in Dresden. It is one of the most frequently performed and recorded piano concertos of the Romantic era.