Radu Lupu plays Schumann
There are two specific reasons why I like this CD:
- Schumann was one amazing composer! He died at age 42, and he left us a collection of wonderful music that includes 4 symphonies, one piano concerto, some chamber music, and a bunch of music for piano solo. While I have favorites in the Humoreske pieces and also in the Kreisleriana collection, I will focus here on the Scenes from Childhood (German: Kindeszenen). It seems to me that the challenge for the composer was to present the simplicity of the child; the gentleness of the child; the humor of the child; the joy of the child, and the playfulness of the child. I find all these aspects and more in this music.
- Radu Lupu, as a performer, brings the magic of Schumann’s creativity to life! What interpretations these are. Gentle, dreamy, sad, sleepy… all the many diverse aspects of the young child. This is not “background music”. Listen to it attentively and go along for the discovery of a child’s life through a musical painting. See if you can identify other aspects of kids: They can be whimsical, too, and so are certain sections of this marvelous music.
If you’d like to purchase this CD, you can get it (or listen to samples) at: