Robert Shumann - Concerto in D minor Op.134 - II. Langsam. III. Lebhaft

Robert Schumann wrote his Violin Concerto in D minor, usually numbered as WoO 23, in 1853. It is a work in three movements, where the symphonic aspect overshadows the contrasting scheme of a typical concerto piece.The piece was written for celebrated violinist Joseph Joachim, but he never got to premiere it. In fact, he only played it through with the orchestra he conducted, and after Schumman's attempt of suicide in 1854, he deemed the Concerto a product of his declining mental health, and refused to play it. Joachim stated in his will that the work should neither be played nor published until 1956. However, after a series of confusing events that reportedly involved the grand nieces of Joachim visiting spiritual mediums, the score was brought to light again in 1933. There was an intense debate regarding who should premiere the piece, finally settled by the fact that the German goverment insisted on a world premiere given by a German musician. Georg Kulenkampff played ther work for the first time in 1937, with the Berlin Philarmonic, and Hindemith prepared ther piano-violin reduction. The concerto made its way into the concert reportoire rather slowly. It is noteworthy that Brahms had indeed published a theme from the second movement of the concerto in his Schumman's last musical though compilation: Schumann, no longer recognizing that he had created the theme for the concerto, insisted that it had been dictated to him by Mendelssohn and Schubert.

Robert Schumann was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career as a virtuoso pianist. He had been assured by his teacher Friedrich Wieck that he could become the finest pianist in Europe, but a hand injury caused by a device he created to develop the strength and independence of his fingers ended this dream. One of the most promising careers as a pianist had thus come to an end. Schumann then focused his musical energies on composing. Schumann's published compositions were written exclusively for the piano until 1840; he later composed works for piano and orchestra; many lieder (songs for voice and piano); four symphonies; an opera; and other orchestral, choral, and chamber works. His writings about music appeared mostly in the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik (New Journal for Music), a Leipzig-based publication which he jointly founded.



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