Savoring Schumann #1022
…on the occasion of the bicentennial of his birth, we enjoy some intriguing scores that Robert Schumann composed in 1845…originally not for the pipe organ!
Hour 1
ROBERT SCHUMANN: 6 Canonic Studies for Pedal Piano, Opus 56
1 –Georges Delvallée (1894 Cavaillé-Coll/Église Saint-Antoine des Quinze-Vingts, Paris, France) REM 311135
2 –Thierry Mechler (1975 Kern/Église Saint-Martin, Masevaux, France) Motette CD MOT 11041
3 –Rudolf Innig (1910 Klais/St. Stephanus Church, Beckum, Germany) Dabringhaus und Grimm MDG 317.0619
4 –Francesco Finotti (1988 Kleuker-Steinmeyer/Tonhalle, Zürich, Switzerland) Edelweiss 1022
5 –Simon Preston (1984 Harrison/Westminster Abbey, London, England, UK) London 430145
6 –Bruno Morin (1862 Cavaillé-Coll/Église Saint-Sulpice, Paris, France) Triton 331114
ROBERT SCHUMANN: Nachtstück, Opus 23 –Archer Gibson (1918 Aeolian/Gibson Residence, New York, NY) AGR 2009
ROBERT SCHUMANN: Credo, from Missa Sacra in c, Opus 147 –Stuttgart Radio Choir, Rupert Huber, conductor; Stefan Johannes Bleicher (Süddeutscher Rundfunks Studio, Stuttgart, Germany) ebs 6078
ROBERT SCHUMANN: 4 Sketches for Pedal Piano, Opus 58
1 & 2 –Michael Farris (1993 C.B. Fisk/Caruth Auditorium, SMU, Dallas, TX) Gothic G49065
3 & 4 –Jennifer Bate (1871 Henry Willis; 1924; 1933 Harrison & Harrison; 2004 Mander/Royal Albert Hall, London, England, UK) ASV CD-6127
Hour 2
ROBERT SCHUMANN: Traumerei, Opus 15, number 7 –Doublas Rafter (1912 Austin/Merrill Auditorium, Portland, ME) AFKA SK-108
ROBERT SCHUMANN: Kyrie, from Missa Sacra in c, Opus 147 –Cologne Chamber Choir, Peter Neumann, conductor; Christoph Anselm Noll (1880 Gerhardt/Emmanuelkirche, Köln-Rondorf, Germany) Dabringhaus und Grimm MDG 332 0598
ROBERT SCHUMANN: Offertorium & Gloria, from Missa Sacra in c, Opus 147 –Stuttgart Radio Choir, Rupert Huber, conductor; Stefan Johannes Bleicher (Süddeutscher Rundfunks Studio, Stuttgart, Germany) ebs 6078
ROBERT SCHUMANN: 6 Fugues for Pedal Piano on B-A-C-H, Opus 60
1 –Thierry Mechler (1975 Kern/Église Saint-Martin, Masevaux, France) Motette CD MOT 11041
2 –Bruno Morin (1862 Cavaillé-Coll/Église Saint-Sulpice, Paris, France) Triton 331114
3 –Philippe Lefebvre (1845 Lété/Abbey of St. Michel, Nantua, France) Solstice 023
4 –Rudolf Innig (1910 Klais/St. Stephanus Church, Beckum, Germany) Dabringhaus und Grimm MDG 317.0619
5 –Francesco Finotti (1988 Kleuker-Steinmeyer/Tonhalle, Zürich, Switzerland) Edelweiss 1022
6 –Kevin Bowyer (1965 Marcussen/Odense Domkirke, Denmark) Nimbus NI 5361
While his wife Clara and the young Johannes Brahms were getting excited about the pipe organ, Robert Schumann’s momentary fascination was the pedal-piano, an instrument with a short-lived popularity. Even so, his music written for this forgotten medium has found a loving home amongst organists, and in this kaleidoscope of performances we’ll explore Schumann’s complete ‘organ music’ plus some other surprises.
