CD Release (October 15th, 2012): Florian Uhlig - 'Schumann in Vienna'

Melancholy and grotesque: Florian Uhlig introduces 'Schumann in Vienna', volume 4 of his complete edition of Schumann’s piano works.

With the fourth CD in his 15-part complete edition of Schumann’s piano works, the renowned pianist Florian Uhlig moves towards the inner depths of the Schumann oeuvre, and a step closer to the dark and more troubled shades of the composer. This record sees Uhlig presenting, alongside the 'Faschingsschwank aus Wien, op. 26' and smaller works such as the 'Arabeske, op. 18', one of the composer’s most complex and personal works – the 'Humoreske, op. 20'.

With high hopes for his career, Robert Schumann set out for Vienna in October of 1838. Yet he only ended up staying for half a year – the conservative music taste of the Viennese was simply not yet ready for his revolutionary musical ideas. Nevertheless, it did appear that the city inspired the composer. In Vienna, he wrote, among other pieces, his 'Humoreske, op. 20'. Radical and stirring, the piece fuses various principles of form together with one another – sonata, rondo, and variations. This work, according to Florian Uhlig, is a real headtrip for pianists – "Schumann jumps from one surprise to the next". Joke and parody, melancholy depths and grotesque – the central work of this new CD comprises an inexhaustible range of moods, colours and characters.

In 2010 – the bicentenary of Robert Schumann’s birth – Florian Uhlig undertook the complete recording of all of Schumann’s solo piano works. The pianist has guested as an internationally acclaimed soloist and chamber musician in numerous important music centres around the world. His musical and artistic influence, however, stretches beyond this and into other areas – since 2008 he has been the artistic director of the Johannesburg International Mozart Festival, South Africa.

www.florian-uhlig.com

Vol. 4: Schumann in Vienna
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

Faschingsschwank aus Wien. Fantasiebilder op. 26.
Blumenstück in D flat major, op. 19,
Vision in F major (from: Albumblätter op. 124, no. 14),
Piano piece in D flat major (first variation on the first 22 bars of das Blumenstück, op. 19),
Three small pieces (from: Bunte Blätter op. 99),
Arabeske in C major, op. 18,
Humoreske in B major, op. 20

Florian Uhlig, Piano
hänssler CLASSIC CD 98.650

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