Probably a victim of the medical condition we know today as manic-depressive illness, Robert Schumann's life and work embody the quintessence of the romantic artist: the creation of art through suffering. The composer, somewhat reluctant to write long-term works, would display his best lyrical genius in songs and short piano pieces. The brilliant collection of miniatures Kinderszenen, from 1838, is a good example; there his extraordinary ability to translate states of the soul into music is manifested.
A year later, Schumann will leave Leipzig for Vienna, putting great distance between him and Clara Wieck, as a result of the old Wieck's rejection of their relationship. But from there he will communicate with Clara through letters and music. Arabesque opus 18 is part of that troubled connection.
Deep was the depression that assailed the maestro in Vienna. And not only sentimental. It was his teacher who was opposed to his daughter's marriage to a musician who was just starting out in a difficult art. Friedrich Wieck's fervent refusal reflected his faint-hearted expectations of his pupil's professional future. But Schumann, who never imagined himself as a second Beethoven or anything similar, managed in Vienna to create a handful of pieces of remarkable charm and grace, "delicate," he wrote, "for ladies." They are part of an intense work he developed parallel to the via crucis prior to his longed-for marriage to Clara, virtually inventing the brief, poetic romantic piece.
Arabesque, opus 18
Less than seven minutes long, this delicate piece "for ladies" makes no great demands on the performer. It is one of those unique pieces of music that, despite its low technical demands, manages to captivate the listener with its colorful and lively writing.
One might say that its title affirms that arabesques are present, but it is more of a metaphor. The little piece presents a modified rondo form (ABACA) with A, the main, lyrical theme, and two somewhat more intense sections, B and C. When the piece would seem to conclude with the last appearance of the initial theme, Schumann has a surprise in store, an exquisite intimate postlude provides the true closure.
La versión es del pianista chino Lang-Lang.
