Program Notes

The Schumann Chamber Series: Year Four

Concert I
Sunday, October 14, 2007 at 4:00 pm

PROGRAM

5 Lieder, Op. 27                                                                       Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

Sag an, o lieber Vogel mein                                                    
Dem roten Röslein gleicht mein Lieb
Was soll ich sagen?
Jasminenstrauch
Nur ein lächelnder Blick

Krista River, mezzo-soprano
Aaron Engebreth, baritone
Craig Smith, piano

String Quartet in F Major, Op. 41 No. 2                                                 

1. Allegro vivace
2. Andante, quasi Variazioni
3. Scherzo (Presto)
4. Allegro molto vivace

Lydian String Quartet
Daniel Stepner, violin
Judith Eissenberg, violin
Mary Ruth (UV) Ray, viola
Joshua Gordon, cello 

Liebesfrühling, Op. 37                                                           Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

Der Himmel hat eine Träne geweint †                                        Clara Schumann (1819-1896)
Er ist gekommen in Sturm und Regen *                                                        
O ihr Herren †            
Liebst du um Schönheit *
Ich hab’ in mich gesogen †     
Liebste, was kann denn uns scheiden? †         
Schön ist das Fest des Lenzes †*        
Flügel!  Flügel!  um zu fliegen †          
Rose, Meer und Sonne †         
Oh Sonn’, O Meer’, O Rose! †           
Warum willst du and’re fragen *
So wahr die Sonne scheinet †*                                   

Krista River, mezzo-soprano
Aaron Engebreth, baritone
Craig Smith, piano

 

†          Robert Schumann
*         Clara Schumann      

    

 

PROGRAM NOTES

Our first Schumann program of the season presents the warm and expressive F Major Quartet played by our long-time friends, The Lydian Quartet.

The Liebesfrüling, jointly written by Robert and Clara Schumann, sets twelve poems by their favorite poet, Friedrich Rückert. In this marvelous cycle, Clara wrote three songs and Robert, seven. The two duets were jointly written by the two, only weeks after their marriage. Early in 1840, Schumann had published a large collection of songs, Myrthen, Opus 25, which we performed last year.  Five songs written at the same time did not make it into the collection but were published as Opus 27.

© Craig Smith