Alexander Melnikov - Schumann: Piano Concerto & Piano Trio No. 2 (2015)

This second volume of the complete recording of the concertos and trios of Schumann shows just how badly we needed an interpretation that respects the subtleties and the transparency of Schumann’s writing. Here is a different stylistic approach to one of the finest concertos in the repertoire, which will undoubtedly open the way to the rediscovery of music as poetic as it is moving. The final installment will be of the Cello Concerto and Piano Trio No. 1 with Jean-Guihen Queyras.

"The idea for this CD project arose during a tour on which we performed Robert Schumann’s Trio Op.80. As passionate admirers of the composer, we conceived the desire to place his works for piano, violin and cello in a broader context and to illuminate them mutually in order to allow listeners to gain a deeper understanding of his music. We soon agreed to play the pieces for this recording on a historical piano and stringed instruments with gut strings, using orchestral forces to match. Thanks to this, we expected our playing to be better balanced, better articulated, and more open-minded. Pablo Heras-Casado and the Freiburger Barockorchester sprang spontaneously to mind as the ideal partners for a project of this kind. And indeed they took up our idea enthusiastically and were keen and irreplaceable fellow-conspirators in the world of Schumann. Our shared journey into the magical world of this incomparable composer will remain with us as an exceptionally intense, happy and fulfilling experience." Isabelle Faust, Alexander Melnikov, Jean-Guihen Queyras

Composer: Robert Schumann
Performer: Isabelle Faust, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Alexander Melnikov
Conductor: Pablo Heras-Casado
Orchestra/Ensemble: Freiburg Baroque Orchestra

Tracklist:

Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54 (Robert Schumann)

1 I. Allegro affetuoso
2 II. Intermezzo. Andantino grazioso
3 III. Allegro vivace

Piano Trio No. 2 in F Major, Op. 80

4 I. Sehr lebhaft
5 II. Mit innigem Ausdruck
6 III. In mäßiger Bewegung
7 IV. Nicht zu rasch