Drei Romanzen, Op.28 (Schumann)

Movements

i Sehr markiert, ii Einfach, iii Sehr markiert

Notes

Robert Schumann completed work on his Drei Romanzen Op.28 in December 1839, and presented them to his beloved Clara for Christmas that year, although sketches date back possibly as far as 1838.

In correspondence (dated 1843) Schumann listed the Romanzen among the four solo piano works which he personally considered his greatest (interestingly, the other three are Kreisleriana Op.16, the Phantasiestücke Op.12 and Noveletten Op.21).

Clara was a fan of the pieces too (and although she appears never to have performed them as a complete set, she included the second and third regularly in her recitals), writing to Robert in 1840,

“I lay claim to the Romances; as your bride you still have to dedicate something to me, and I know of nothing more tender than these three Romances, especially the middle one, which is the most beautiful love duet.”

Performances