Description
In 1839, Schumann was plagued by gloomy premonitions while working on his latest composition. The news that his brother Eduard was dying had deeply shaken him, and he wrote in his diary on March 31st that he was "Writing a 'Corpse Fantasy.'" Three-quarters of a year later, as Schumann prepared the work for publication, he chose to title it "Night Pieces" in reference to E.T.A. Hoffmann. However, Schumann likely did not intend for the piece to be perceived as overly nocturnal and dark, as he associated it with a desire to "pleasantly remind" listeners of his brother, who had since passed away. We are now publishing this work in a newly revised version by Ernst Herttrich that reflects the latest scholarly research.
