Robert Schumann Piano Concerto in A minor, Op.54 for Two Pianos, 4 Hands(Solo Piano and Orchestral reduction) New Urtext Edition by Michael Mu sgrav .SchumannŒÍs Piano Concerto traces its origins, through the first movement, to a single-movement Phantasie in A minor for piano and orchestra which was completed in May 1841 (his Œñsymphonic yearŒî) and revised atthe beginning of 1843. Clara Schumann, who had long wanted a major work for piano and orchestra from Schumann, played through the Phantasie wit h the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra in 1841 but, although she played it again in 1843, it was never publicly performed, nor a publisher found, even though they were both happy with the work. In the summer of 1845 in Dresden, where they had now moved, Schumann revised the Phantasie and added a second and third movement to form what is described on the surviving manuscript of the full score as ŒñConcerto for piano . . . with accompaniment . . .Œî. It was premiered on 4 December 1845 at a special Clara Schumann concert with Dresden musicians, independent of the regular subscription concerts, conducted by their friend and supporter Ferdinand Hiller, the dedicatee. The performance was critically successful and a secondperformance was arranged at the more prestigious Leipzig Gewandhaus at the 11th subscription concert on New YearŒÍs Day 1846, under its conductor Mendelssohn. This performance was an even greater success than the first, and the work was immediately accepted by the Leipzig publisher Breitkopf & Hí_rtel and quickly established itself as a repertory work. Schumann made corrections to the orchestral parts for the performance he conducted with Clara at the Lower Rhine Music Festival in May 1853.The history of the work is dominated by Clara SchumannŒÍs promotion of it over a period of 40 years or so. Robert Schumann never played the work, since he had given up public performance by the time of its composition. All evidence is that Clara played it to his great satisfaction, and it was obviously meant for her.
