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Schumann’s music has always been part
of my life. How many times did I fall
asleep as a boy listening tomy father play
Etudes Symphoniques
and
Carnaval
…
So many memories: Gieseking or
Kempff performing
Kreisleriana
. Arthur
Rubinstein auditioning me in
Fantasie
,
op. 17...
Masterpieces like
Etudes Symphoniques, Fantasie, Kresileriana, Concerto
have been
part of my life for many years; I discover new details and beautiful aspects each
time I go back to them. Reading Schumann’s scores is one thing, but an incredibly
long period of practice is required to bring out the physical aspect of what the
composer was looking to create. You have to actually
experience
the rhythm, the
Schumannian syncopation—this is the key to understanding the composer’s
personality. Like Beethoven’s
sforzati
, Schumann’s syncopation reveals a great deal
about him, the constant turmoil of his inner world.