Tiffany Poon: My Schumann Top Five
Following the release of her debut solo album, "Diaries: Schumann", pianist Tiffany Poon shares her Top Five recordings of works by Robert Schumann in this exclusive playlist.
Read more…Kinderszenen
Let’s start from the very beginning - our childhoods. In a letter to Clara, Robert Schumann speculated that her remark about how he sometimes seemed like a child to her might have inspired his set of Scenes from Childhood. I honestly don’t remember how and why “Of Foreign Lands and People” became such an iconic theme, but I’m so grateful that millions love this as much as I do. I think the repetitive theme invites you to wander and begin an introspective journey. Wondering…What is this? What is that? Why is that?
Fantasiestücke
As I was preparing for my Schumann album, I knew I wanted to explore non-piano works to really get inside his soundworld. I wanted to learn how he expresses his melodies on other instruments - perhaps on more emotionally vibrating instruments like stringed instruments. Not only is the piece itself beautifully played and beautiful seamless storytelling between cello and piano, listening to this recording also reminds me of the inspiring musicians behind the microphone.
Cello Concerto
If I played the cello, I would play this concerto. I don’t, but I listened to so many recordings of this on repeat for 2 years during my research phase that I think I know every single note by now and I wish I could play the cello. I just love how vocal the cello is, it’s like a person talking through his ups and downs of life. Aside from my obsession with this cello concerto, the decay of sounds in historical instruments also fascinated me. Nowadays, modern pianos and stringed instruments have steel strings and mechanisms that create longer, sustaining, dare I say heavier, louder sounds. But I imagine that Robert Schumann was more familiar with the older instruments that had a much faster decay, which created a different kind of overtone palette. Listening and playing on historical instruments inspired a rethinking of tempo when playing his music…on the piano.
Piano Trio No. 1
I think I was reading Goethe or Schumann’s Early Letters published by Clara, when suddenly, my ears perked up and thought, “wow, what a funny piece.” I had never heard of his Trios before, but this menacing gallop intrigued me without even my full attention. Of course, then it drew me in and I stopped reading.
Piano Quartet
That cello theme… enough said.
Bonus: Symphony No. 2
You know when we sometimes think in circles, walk in circles, and then all of a sudden a little new idea pops up in our mind, we see a new building we never saw, we think of a little memory, then we keep going on our ways, in circles or otherwise. To me, Schumann captures humorous, honest moments like this best. You don’t even need a melody.