120, was composed by Robert Schumann. 4 (1841 version) - Derek Solomons on AllMusic - 1990 This was a pivotal time in Schumann’s life. Although it only met with a. lukewarm reception when it was first performed in Leipzig in 1841, Schumann. Italian for “joke,” the scherzo replaced the minuet as the typical third movement of a symphony in the early nineteenth century. While working to orchestrate a symphony by Burgmüller left incomplete at that composer’s untimely death, he was inspired to return to his D minor symphony. The piece had been composed in 1841 and revised in 1851, to adapt it to the deficiencies of Schumann's orchestra in Dusseldorf. Explore the 2020–21 season and purchase your subscription today! Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Schumann completed the orchestration of the symphony by October 4, and the premiere took place once again with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra on December 6. This new, driving motif becomes the main idea of the faster main section of the movement. Normally, a section known as an exposition would now unfold: a first theme would be linked by transitional material to a contrasting second theme in a new key. Schumann’s development begins this way at first, but because he focused on the main idea of the movement so much in the exposition, he now begins to introduce new themes in the development: the normal functions of exposition and development are reversed. Many have compared the way Schumann uses this technique of thematic return to the way memories resurface or characters return in contemporary novels. 120: 2nd movement; Robert Schumann - Symphony No. For Schumann’s Symphony no 4, Gardiner chose the original 1841 version rather than the published version of 1851. After studying the original scoring in the manuscript, Brahms concluded that the latter version, the one always performed, amounted to a makeshift, turgid compared to the lighter touch of the original. When the music does return to the home key, it returns not to the dark key of D minor, but a brilliant, frenzied D major. 4 STARS ‘Lean and lithe are two descriptions of John Eliot Gardiner’s approach to … 120, composed by Robert Schumann, was first completed in 1841. Schumann heavily revised the symphony in 1851, and it was this version that reached publication. Normally, the development leads back to a recapitulation, which resolves the tension with a reprise of the main themes of the exposition in the home key of the work; here, however, there is no need to reprise the exposition, because all of the real themes were introduced in the development. 120 version (1841): I. Andante con moto - Allegro di molto Berlin Philharmonic , Rafael Kubelik 6 3 Rhenish (1850) [32.57] Symphony No. [3], Learn how and when to remove this template message, International Music Score Library Project, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Symphony_No._4_(Schumann)&oldid=991020709, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2010, Articles lacking in-text citations from April 2009, Articles with International Music Score Library Project links, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz work identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, John Daverio, "Robert Schumann: Orchestral Works—A Quest for Mastery of the Grand Form," liner notes to, This page was last edited on 27 November 2020, at 21:10. Immediately after completing his First Symphony, Schumann wrote this work. Following his year of songs (1840), Robert Schumann turned his attention to orchestral music in 1841. Schumann: Symphonies Nos. To help draw attention to the concert, Franz Liszt, the most famous piano virtuoso of the day, agreed to appear and play a duet with Clara (who had considerable star-power in her own right). Granted, there are one or two improvements in the revision, but to listen to this is to realise that the wildly lateral, quirkily brilliant Schumann of the earlier piano music was still very much alive in 1841. The work is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani and the usual strings. 120. In both versions, it seems that Schumann wanted half the cello section to play the melody, not just a solo cello. Both scherzos and minuets usually feature a contrasting middle section, and this one is no exception. The LSO respond with elan to the bracing textures, confounding the cliché that Schumann “couldn’t orchestrate”. Gardiner chooses the 1841 version of the D minor work, No 4, which the LSO play as if discovering it anew. 4 in D Minor, Op. Schumann completed the first draft of his First Symphony in only four days the following January, and after a few tweaks it was premiered to great acclaim by the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra led by Felix Mendelssohn on March 31. The premiere took place under the baton of Felix Mendelssohn on 31 March 1841 in Leipzig, where the symphony was warmly received. 1853 - Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel (revised version) Schumann put the work aside until 10 years later, after he had composed two other symphonies and become the music director of the orchestra in Dusseldorf. The Schumann d minor Symphony of 1841 – originally his “second” symphony – was to be revised ten years later, having received a lukewarm reception at its premier. This theme, now in D major, becomes the main idea of the finale (interestingly, Schumann made some substantial changes to this theme when he revised the symphony—compare the original to the revised version, which is more concentrated and economical). In 1838, during a visit to Vienna, Schumann discovered the autograph score of Schubert’s Symphony no 9, also referred to as the ‘Great’ C major Symphony, neglected and still unperformed. In 1840, Schumann had focused his creative energies on songs for voice and piano, producing an astonishing three song cycles (Liederkreis, Frauenliebe und –leben and Dichterliebe), which remain cornerstones of the German lieder repertoire. In this post, learn more Schumann and this fascinating work. 4. Schumann heavily revised the symphony in 1851, and it was this version that reached publication. 38 in a mere four days in late January 1841. Instead of writing a symphony with four clearly delineated movements, Schumann sought to fuse the traditional four movements, creating an unbroken, immersive flow of music. Don’t miss Schumann’s Symphony No. This inspired passage accelerates to the fast finale, which arrives with the return of the heroic, dotted-rhythm theme from the development of the first movement. Find album reviews, stream songs, credits and award information for Schumann: Symphony No. This time, the exposition unfolds as expected, and breathless dance rhythms permeate a transitional theme full of surprising harmonic twists and turns, leading to a sweeter, more lyrical second theme. Schumann had a great interest in the music of Bach and other older composers, and was likely exploring new ways to incorporate their musical logic into a symphonic structure. Allegro animato e grazioso (Live) $0.99 on iTunes; Schumann — Symphony No. I have heard nothing of it as yet, but from seeing Robert’s doings, and from hearing a D minor echoing wildly in the distance, I know in advance that this will be another work that is emerging from the depths of his soul.”. Classical Music Milestone: December 6, 1841. The premiere of Symphony No 1, ‘Spring’, in March 1841, directed by Felix Mendelssohn, had been a surprise success. Schumann sketched out his Symphony # 1 in B-Flat, Op. ‘The Fourth Symphony is played in the 1841 version. Symphony No 4 is actually the second officially designated ‘symphony’ Schumann completed. Robert Schumann - Symphony No. In the original version, the loud, blazing D major chords that end the first movement land unexpectedly on the soft, unstable A minor chord that begins the second movement without a pause. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Critics, however, were generally positive, and Schumann hoped to sell the work to his publisher. The Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig, with Felix Mendelssohn conducting, presented the premiere to great acclaim on March 31. The first version was written in the summer of 1841 and premiered on December 6 of that year with Ferdinand David leading the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Once again, Schumann subverts expectations when it comes time for the recapitulation—he omits the reprise of the heroic theme altogether, skipping to the dancing, harmonically unstable transitional theme and returning to D major with the sweet, lyrical second theme. 38 "Spring": IV. In 1841, Robert Schumann finally had the breakthrough he had long dreamed of as an orchestral composer. 4. Scherzos typically retain the dance-like character and triple meter of the minuet, but are often faster and wilder than their courtly predecessors. Indeed, the original inversion included an unwritten, ad libitum part for guitar, conjuring images of serenading troubadours. The symphony begins with a slow, brooding introduction based on a winding figure in the violins, violas and bassoons: Throughout the symphony, the music will maintain the feverish, passionate quality of the introduction, even in moments of lightness and joy. It did not help that Mendelssohn was unavailable to conduct Schumann’s new symphony (Clara complained that the orchestra did not play as well as it could have), and many audience members were confused by its unusual form. According to Brahms, who preferred the original version, the later edition slowed the tempo and stripped it of its initial charm. 4 in D Minor, Op. [1], The 1851 (published) version of the work is in four movements which follow each other without pause:[1], The 1841 version, however, used Italian rather than German tempo indications, with the four movements as follows:[2], Schumann's biographer Peter Ostwald comments that this earlier version is "lighter and more transparent in texture" than the revision, but that Clara "always insisted that the later, heavier, and more stately version [of 1851] was the better one. It was conducted by Ferdinand David at Leipzig's Gewandhaus. "[citation needed], The scherzo borrows a theme from Symphony No. The Fourth Symphony was actually the second symphony Schumann composed. It took him all of four days in January to complete the first draft of his First Symphony. 4 in D Minor (Robert Schumann) ... Più vivace - Stringendo - Presto (1841) Berliner Philharmoniker. The music does move from D minor to F major, brightening somewhat, and there are some new secondary ideas, but the main idea of the movement is always present throughout. Though it is difficult to summarize Romanticism, Romantic writers and poets explored themes of emotion, irrationality, the supernatural, nature, childhood, horror, the sublime, dreams, memories and irony. 120 (1841 Original Version) [Ed. The surprise, however, is that the contrasting middle section consists of the return of the lilting violin solo melody from the previous movement, now played by the entire section. The discovery inspired him to look further into the symphonic form. After an exposition repeat (not included in the original version), the development begins with a long, dissonant note (much as the development of the first movement began). 4 in D minor, Op. Robert Schumann, conductor First Pub lication. —Calvin Dotsey. 120, composed by Robert Schumann, was first completed in 1841. Get tickets and more information at houstonsymphony.org. After the huge success of his First Symphony in 1841 (the ‘Spring’), Schumann, with typical single-mindedness, forged ahead through the remainder of the year with his focus squarely on orchestral music. He created no less than two works that year: his first, the Spring Symphony, and a piece he originally conceived as a Symphonic Fantasy and which later turned into his Symphony in D-minor. The Symphony No. 1 in F minor, Op. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. 4 in D minor, Op. This site uses cookies. 120 [1841 Version]: II. 4 in D Minor, op. Schumann completed the first draft of his First Symphony in only four days the following January, and after a few tweaks it was premiered to great acclaim by the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra led by Felix Mendelssohn on March 31. 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