Schumann – A Listener's Guide

Over the course of some three dozen volumes, Amadeus Press highly acclaimed Unlocking the Masters series has drawn readers into the worlds of the greatest composers and their music. Curated pairings of critically minded introductory texts andcompanion CDs loaded with tracks selected from the worlds foremost libraries of recorded classics, the series truly brings the sounds and stories of its legendary subjects to life. Its latest entry, Victor Lederers Schumann: A Listeners Guide, isan essential portal to the musical works of and tempestuous life of this little-understood genius. Many, if not most, major composers improve over the course of their careers. For Schumann, however, the opposite was true: plagued throughout his lifeby physical and mental illnesses, he helplessly – and consciously – endured the gradual diminution of his prodigious talent until his premature death at age 46. Throughout Schumann: A Listeners Guide, Lederer provides unflinching critiques of theweaknesses that plagued Schumanns style, contrasting them with the brilliance of his earliest triumphs. This eminently accessible account explores the full spectrum of the master composers oeuvre, from his popular early music and lieder to hisworks for chamber ensembles composed in 1842 to his four beloved, if flawed, symphonies. It also accounts for Schumanns dramatic works, particularly Genoveva, his only opera, and Incidental Music to Byrons “Manfred,” a bewilderingly unappreciatedmusical score. As with all volumes in the UTM series, Schumann: A Listeners Guide is accompanied by a CD containing two of the masters most daring imaginative flights, both explored in detail in the text: the Davidsbündlertänze for piano andDichterliebe (A Poets Love), one of the all-time greatest song cycles and works for voice. Geared toward fledglings, but written with an eye turned to aficionados, the book is a must-have for Schumann buffs and classical music fans young and old.