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PHILIPPE BIANCONI
At the end of
Papillons
we heard the bell striking six o’clock in the morning in the
treble of the piano – the ball has come to an end; at the end of the last piece of the
Davidsbündlertänze
it is the twelve strokes of midnight that sound at the bottom
of the keyboard. Schumann headed this last piece: ‘Eusebius added this, though
it was quite superfluous; but as he did so, great bliss beamed from his eyes.’
2
That
says it all. Eusebius, left alone on stage, dances a slow and peaceful waltz, which
in its simplicity and serenity is like a promise of eternity. And, after the dazzling
conclusion of
Carnaval
, it’s left to an epilogue of ineffable poetry to close what is, in
my view, one of Schumann’s greatest masterpieces.
1. In each and every age
Joy and sorrow are entwined:
Remain calm in joy
And be prepared for sorrowwith courage.
(Old saying)
2.
Ganz zum Überfluss meinte Eusebius noch Folgendes; dabei sprach aber viel Seligkeit aus seinen
Augen
.