Déchiffrer Schumann

Louis Lortie, OC, CQ (born 27 April 1959) is a French-Canadian pianist. He currently lives in Berlin. He is known for his interpretation of Ravel, Chopin and Beethoven. He is an international soloist, and has made over 30 recordings on the Chandos label. Born in Montreal, Louis Lortie made his debut with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra at the age of thirteen and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra three years later. Soon after he performed an historic tour of the People’s Republic of China and Japan. He won First Prize in the Busoni Competition in 1984. He was also a prize-winner at the Leeds Competition. He was named an Officer of the Order of Canada, and was made a Knight of the National Order of Quebec as well as an honorary doctorate from Université Laval. He also teaches at Italy’s renowned piano institute at Imola.

The first true complete recording of Robert Schumann’s works for piano solo on 17 albums (in 15 volumes), played by Florian Uhlig, seeks for the first time to offer imaginative compilations on album (e.g. “Robert Schumann and the Sonata”, “The Young Piano Virtuoso”, “Schumann in Vienna”, “Schumann and Counterpoint”, “Variations”) containing all original works for pianoforte written between 1830 (Abegg Variations op. 1) and 1854 (Ghost Variations) according to the newest critical editions and/or first editions. Several of these albums include premiere recordings. The booklets by Joachim Draheim, who discovered and/or edited a number of the works, shed light on the biographical and musicological background to the works thus coupled.

Schumann's career very nearly took a very direction. He had planned to be a writer and a lawyer, and it was the experience of hearing Paganini play in 1830 that provided the impetus to set the young man on a path that would eventually see him become one of the great romantic composers. Having chosen this path, (he had dabbled as a composer in his childhood, and his father considered sending him to Weber for tuition). Schumann found composition anything but easy. A pianist of considerable prowess, he worshipped ……..

Originally written for oboe (unique composition for this instrument), the "Drei Romanzen", Op. 94 were composed in late 1849 when Schumann seemed to be inspired by old legends.