c o n c e r t o i n a m i n o r f o r p i a n o , a n d o r c h e s t r a , o p . 5 4 ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Even at the time of his op. 1, the Abegg Variations, Schumann was thinking about a "concert piece for pianoforte and orchestra." The first indication of another date of composition is given by the note in Clara's diary (towards the end of 1840), that Robert "already has new ideas for a piano Fantasie with orchestra as well, which he really wants to set down." In November 1840 and all through 1841 the following entries appear in their Marriage Diary: "Robert has the strong wish to write a piano concerto"; Robert wrote: "Worked on the Fantasie"; "Completed the Fantasie"; "Began the orchestration"; "Tidied up the Fantasie in Aminor" etc. It took Schumann several years to find a publisher for themanuscript of the one-movement Fantasie for Pianoforte and Orchestra. Eventually, Whistling, Hofmeister, Peters and Breitkopf agreed to publish the work, but urged Schumann to compose a second and third movement to go with it. These movements were conceived much later, in the summer of 1845. The three stages of work can be detected in the autograph score through differences in the coloring of the ink and crayons and they include changes, cuts and insertions made only after the two additional movements had been completed, of which the third movement, originally called Rondo, was composed first. The themes in these two movements stem from the main theme of the first movement, creating a musical frame for the whole work. The first private performance of the Allegro affettuoso for Pianoforte with Orchestra Accompaniment, op. 48 - its earliest title - took place at a rehearsal of the Gewandhaus Orchestra, with Clara at the keyboard, on 13 August 1841, before the completion of the other two movements. Clara wrote enthusiastically in the Marriage Diary: "The piano and orchestra are interwoven to perfection... I am looking forward to playing it in public one day"; and in June 1845: "Robert has done a fine last movement... I am very glad, because I have never had a large-sized bravura piece from him." The first performance of the whole work took place on 4 December 1845 in Dresden, with Ferdinand Hiller conducting and Clara as soloist, and was favorably reviewed, especially the "bold humor of the finale." On New Year of 1846 Felix Mendelssohn conducted the work at the Leipzig Gewandhaus, with Clara once again as soloist, but this time it was not favorably received. Audiences of the time, excited by technical prowess and narcissistic, empty ca. 31 mins. Allegro affetuoso Intermezzo: Andantino grazioso Allegro vivace
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