There’s been a huge push for diversifying the classical music canon and repertoire — for good reason. I could certainly go on a diatribe about historical exclusion in classical music and the flaws of classical music historiography. However, for this column, I’m simply going to consistently include and feature classical music composed and performed by a diverse group of people. This isn’t just diversity for diversity’s sake; inspiring and important music can — and has — come from anyone!
Clara Schumann is often known as the wife of composer Robert Schumann. However, her own musicianship and compositional talent are often overlooked. Clara was one of the most talented and in-demand pianists of the 19th century, premiering her own works as well as those of her husband and Johannes Brahms. Furthermore, though Clara had complicated feelings about a woman’s place in music composition, she wrote outstanding chamber music works and a piano concerto.
The piano concerto, played by British pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason in this recording (2019), is a showpiece of piano virtuosity and compositional nuance. With her debut album, Kanneh-Mason chose to specifically feature Clara Schumann’s works. And her attention and care with this music are evident. This seems to be one of the best Clara Schumann recordings available, both in sound quality and performance.
My favorite movement of the piano concerto is the finale, which features an exquisite back and forth between the orchestra and the soloist. A swiftly descending minor key figure in the piano — dropped right at the end of a melancholy theme — gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.
Links:
YouTube (a clip)