Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Ethics, Aesthetics. The Feeling
Kreisleriana Op.16 (1838)
Drei Romanzen Op.28 (1839)
Faschingsschwank aus Wien Op.26 (1839)
Maria Gabriella Mariani (piano)
rec. Studio G&G Ardea, Italy
Da Vinci Classics C01069 [70]
This is Maria Gabriella Mariani’s first disc containing none of her own compositions. Instead it is devoted to Robert Schumann, the composer who has accompanied her on her musical journey since her time at the L Perosi Academy in Biella and onward though many milestones. In her booklet note she writes “Schumann first revealed to me the splendour and complexity of music”; his music has inspired her and his exploration and use of dazzling imagery, sound and structure can all be found in her own compositions. Kreisleriana has been with her longest, a work she worked on with her teacher Aldo Ciccolini whose influence can be heard in the snap of the grace notes of number six, a rhythmic if not sonic hint of the bagpipes that he suggested or the inebriated tipplers winding their way home at the end of number seven. For me the cat-like tread and skipping rhythms of the eighth are closer to this picture but such sparking of imagination, each listener in their own way, is one of the joys of music. Forest, ravine and mystery are other thoughts that have awakened in Ms Mariani over the course of her life with the work, especially in the third and final piece and the spacious hunting music here struck me on first listening. The conversation of the syncopated notes in number four, a performance full of dance-like charm in its middle section is also notable as are her finely crafted phrases, tempestuous and intimate alike throughout but there is lots to enjoy here.
The three Romances op.28 are a more recent addition to Ms Mariani’s repertoire and they sit well between the two larger works on this disc. The second is a perennial favourite with its tender heartfelt duet but its companions are striking pieces in their own right. The turbulent rolling accompaniment of the first romance perfectly complements the melody, restless and yearning, a quality that Ms Mariani captures well. Schumann the song composer is evident in this and in the second, signposting the listener to his Liederjahr, his year of song, just a few months away. The final romance is a rondo, built around the opening march. Its moods range from ardent desperation to light-hearted playfulness. Such a mix hints rather strongly at the churning emotions of young love – this is 1839 after all, just a year before Clara and Robert’s marriage.
The Carnival jest from Vienna dates from the same year and its opening movement is in similar vein to the third romance with distinct sections, I count six, the first of which is energetic and boisterous, marvellously portrayed by Ms Mariani. The fourth movement, intermezzo, echoes the restlessness of the first romance though its soaring melody is more optimistic. The second movement is romanze, shorter than its predecessors and more desolate in feel than any, a stark contrast to the rollicking scherzo that follows it. Ms Mariani’s tempo here is very similar to Ciccolini’s and like him she pushes ahead at the big chords part way through, generally displaying more lightness of rhythm that the sterner performance by another Italian, Michelangeli. In the finale Ms Mariani finds the requisite liveliness though she is most impressive in the more lyrical passages where her buoyant rhythms make for a delightfully jaunty second theme.
This recital highlights that period of heightened emotions in Schumann’s life, all of which made their way into these charged pieces. Ms Mariani matches those moods well and I particularly like the juxtaposition of the Romances with Faschingsschwank aus Wien, the romances so intimately linked with Clara and the Carnival Jest the result of his time in Vienna that helped, financially and artistically, in securing his future with her.
Rob Challinor
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