Schumann: Märchenbilder, Op. 113 (arr. for cello & piano)

Description

The four "Märchenbilder" ("Fairy-Tales"), op 113, for piano and viola or violin ad libitum, was the first piece of chamber music that Schumann wrote during his years in Düsseldorf. It continues the series of cycles of character pieces that the composer had initiated in Dresden in 1849. Even more than the Romances for oboe, the "Märchenbilder" cry out for a new version for cello, particularly as the instrument can render large sections of the original viola writing in much the same timbre.

Our version of the "Märchenbilder" was produced by Robert Hausmann (1852-1909), one of the best known cellists of the nineteenth century. His arrangement is noteworthy for its close proximity to the original. Even the use of dynamics and articulation betrays a sensitive approach to Schumann's model.