Schumann at His Most Sublime

Delightful piano playing that does Schumann justice.

Composer: Schumann
Repertoire: Complete Works for Piano, Vol.2
Artists: Cédric Pescia (piano)
Rating: 5/5

Genre: Instrumental
Label: Claves 50–2603/04

Whether his hand was left partially crippled when a finger-strengthening device collapsed on it, or whether he was actually receiving mercury treatment for syphilis, Schumann was forced to forego his potential career as a piano virtuoso and turn to composition instead. The result was some of the most sublime music ever written for the instrument, including the classics that Cédric Pescia plays so alluringly here: Papillons, Davidsbündlertänze and the Album for the Young. Pescia hardly puts a foot wrong whether he’s untangling hidden inner voices from the complex textural undergrowth of Davidsbündlertänze or relaxing with the Album’s easy flow of enchanting miniatures. Bravo!