These two discs reveal an exhaustive and moving exploration of Schumann's creative genius, which, in his chamber opuses, bears an imprint of passion and emotion.

Many of his compositional choices are a vibrant testimony to a tormented soul, to his love for Clara, and to his ceaseless quest for beauty and expression: from whimsical early works, full of youth and daring, to more mature and introspective compositions, each piece on this recording reveals a unique facet of the artist.

The Andante and Variation, with its subtle play of stereophony, transports the listener into a whirlwind of emotions, while Trio No 2, the culmination of Schumann's obsession with Clara, evokes an inner journey of passion and desire. Throughout this recording, each instrument finds its voice and its space, in a delicate, harmonious balance. The winds take their rightful place in the soundscape, broadening the horizons of chamber music and offering new perspectives on Schumann's work. 

More than a simple recording, this complete collection of Robert Schumann's chamber music is a vibrant testimony to the richness and diversity of his musical genius. It is a timeless journey through the deepest human emotions, an invitation to discover and rediscover the work of one of the greatest composers in the history of music. Each instrument had to find its own dedicated space, and meticulous choices had to be made, paying particular attention to questions of balance.

The first disc, mainly dominated by wind instruments, presents modest, briefer but more fanciful forms. The first volume is more in touch with Schumanian themes and his poetic universe, while the second dwells more on academic forms, testifying to an asserted artistic maturity and the exploration of large structures.

In the first volume, a sense of splintering emanated recurrently from the incessant change of instruments and Schumann's innovations in instrumentation, while the second volume was distinguished by its universal character, perhaps exploring a darker Schumann, particularly in the Trios.

The growing obsession with Clara is prominent, perceptible from the first disc and reaching its climax in the second volume, particularly in the Second Trio. This presence is expressed musically by a singular interval leap that runs through the melodies of the trios, but is also to be found in other opuses.

In the end, the first disc is imbued with a notion of experimentation, conferring its letters of nobility on the horn and opening up the repertoire to winds, previously relegated to a discreet place in chamber music, traditionally centred on strings. While the volume containing the trio and quartet exudes a tormented atmosphere, that with the winds revealed pure poetry.

Listen to ‘Schumann Collection: Works With Wind Instruments’

Listen to ‘Trios and Quartet For Piano and Strings (live)’