Description

Schumann's turbulent, short-lived love affair with the barely eighteen-year-old Ernestine von Fricken, though intense enough to result in a secret engagement, lasted only a few months. Yet this relationship gave rise to one of his most frequently performed works, the character piece collection Carnaval. Within this suite of twenty-one pieces, Schumann incorporates references to figures from the commedia dell'arte as well as his own invented personas, Florestan and Eusebius, which reflect his own split personality. The editor's detailed commentary in this revised edition explores the mysterious connections between these musical characters and specific individuals in Schumann's life, as well as the deeper significance of the recurring motifs Ab-C-B and A-Eb-C-B.