Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Carnaval Op.9 (1834-5) [33:43]
Novelette Op.21 No.8 (1838) [11:37]
Piano Sonata – Concerto sans Orchestre in F minor Op.14 (1835) [24:53]
Luca Delle Donne (piano)
rec. 2020, Collezione Bizzi Pianoforte, Bodio Lomnago, Italy
DA VINCI CLASSICS C00448 [70:08]
Luca Delle Donne, professor at Udine's J.Tomadini Conservatory, has recorded Schumann before, though on that occasion it was the Violin Sonatas, and he has recently recorded the Wolf-Ferrari Violin Sonata for Naxos, both releases with violinist Emmanuele Baldini. Now he turns his attention to three major works for piano solo by the young Robert Schumann all of which have ties to young love. Carnaval focuses on Ernestine von Fricken, his one-time fiancé whom he described as remarkably musical – everything, in a word, that I might wish my wife to be. Its sub-title – little scenes on four notes – relates to the motifs that tie together Schumann, Ernestine and Asch, the town of her birth. The notes A, E flat, C and B – German spelling A-Es-C-H – with the addition of a shorter but similar motif, A flat, C and B – German spelling As-C-H – neatly accomplish this while at the same time partly referencing Fasching, German for Carnival. Ernestine may indeed have been remarkable but it was the even more remarkable Clara Wieck, his wife-to-be, who provided the inspiration for the other two works here. The final Novelette from the set of eight op.21 has a section marked Stimme aus der Ferne whose melody, this voice from afar, is the melody of a Nocturne that Clara wrote in 1836-7. The heart of the F minor Sonata provides an even clearer link to Clara; its slow movement, quasi variazioni, andantino de Clara Wieck has a theme of five descending scale notes and it is this motif that also provides the dramatic bass line opening to the first movement.
This Sonata began life as a five movement work with an incomplete finale and two scherzos. The scherzos were removed on the suggestion of the publisher who was evidently eager to sell the piece as a three movement work with a much revised finale and the unsuitable title Concerto sans orchestre. It was not until 1853 that it was published in its final form with first movement and finale revisions and with the subtitle dropped. The Sonata in G minor op.22 had appeared in the meantime and was known as number two so this is now known as his Sonata no.3 in F minor. Delle Donne plays the intermediate version of this work with just three movements. He is certainly not lacking in the technique required for this demanding piece or indeed any of the works here. There is plenty of spirit throughout but I like that he brings delicacy into a lot of the passagework and makes much of the lyrical aspects of the outer movements of the Sonata where what can be some fairly repetitive music needs the contrast. I think for all its episodic nature it is the Novelette which it the better work and shows the pianist at his best. The lyrical passages inspired by Clara are beautifully played and matched perfectly to his playing of Eusebius in Carnaval, and he has a magnificent sweep in the outer sections, balancing the voices wonderfully in the fall and rise of the agitated opening pages.
There are many fine recordings of Carnaval of course and while I don't think Delle Donne is going to replace the first runners he plays very well and I would be happy with this in my collection. There are moments that don't appeal; Pierrot is a little too plodding for me and there is a mannered stiffness to the ending of the Valse Allemande for instance. He also plays Sphinxes which is curious though perhaps not an issue in itself. Rachmaninov and Horowitz both included these little motifs after all but neither of these great pianists played it straight; Horowitz opted for grand octaves and Rachmaninov's Sphinxes were more ominous with their added bass tremolandi. Dell Donne just plays them as written which just seems an odd interruption in an otherwise fine interpretation. I will still return to my Hamelin recording again and again (Hyperion Records CDA67120 review) but this is still a more than decent version and in a rich, full sound this is an appealing release.
Rob Challinor
