Robert Schumann does not come close to the marquee appeal of Mozart, Beethoven or even Brahms, and that’s exactly why Marin Alsop sought to spotlight the underappreciated composer with a three-day festival.
“I wanted to really get our audience and our listeners familiar with his musical language and really connected to him,” said the Colorado Symphony’s conductor laureate. “He had such an interesting life story and was such a unique character, but most people don’t know anything about him.”
During three different programs over the weekend, she and the orchestra will perform an overture and all four of Schumann’s symphonies as well as the Piano Concertino in F Minor by his wife, Clara, a famed pianist and composer in her own right.
Most listeners identify Schumann (1810-1856) with his superb art songs (he wrote more than 300) and his piano and chamber music, especially his stunning Piano Quintet in E flat.
The German composer’s less-familiar symphonies are not performed as often as they deserve to be, in part because he wrote a small number and because they fall somewhat uncomfortably between the classical and romantic eras.
“And, as such, Schumann, very much like Brahms later, has one foot in the old world and one foot sort of very tepidly reaching into the new world,” Alsop said. “If you’re not completely avant garde in your period or you’re not completely retro, it’s a tricky amalgam.”
To fully appreciate Schumann, the conductor believes listeners need to understand the period in which he lived and be aware of key aspects his life, none more important than a mental illness that was both debilitating and energizing.
Richard Kogan, a psychiatrist, concert pianist and international lecturer on mental illness and creativity, said that based on his symptoms and behavorial patterns, Schumann likely suffered from manic-depressive illness, also known as bipolar disorder.
“While it is difficult to do retrospective diagnoses on historical figures, Schumann kept meticulous diaries and wrote lots of letters so we have information on his mental state for every day of his adult life,” Kogan said in an e-mail.
Schumann lost huge chunks of creative time to his mental illness, which caused auditory hallucinations and impaired concentration. Even worse, after trying to kill himself by jumping into the Rhine River in early 1854, he was confined to an asylum, where he died two years later.
On the other hand, the sharpened imagination and increased energy associated with his manic periods resulted in what Kogan describes as “prodigious bursts of brilliantly inventive composing.” The composer was able, for example, to sketch his entire first symphony in just four days.
“As we delve into the turbulent and chaotic world of Schumann’s imagination, we must appreciate that his glorious symphonies would not exist were it not for his mental illness,” Kogan said.
The psychiatrist will present 30-minute lectures prior to each of the festival’s concerts, and Alsop and he will discuss the connection between Schumann’s mental state and his composing in introductions to the selections during the programs.
“Music was always a refuge for him, and composition was almost therapeutic,” Alsop said, “and I think it is important to understand that when assessing his symphonies and figuring out what’s going on, because I don’t think one can separate the individual from the work they create.”
Most performances take a conventional approach to the symphonies, but conductor John Eliot Gardner made a well-regarded 1998 recording using period instruments that has proved influential.
“I’m sure that mine is probably a hybrid of the period instrument-movement and the older, more romantic approach,” Alsop said.
“For me, both approaches have validity, but since Schumann is on that cusp between the two times, I want to achieve an interpretation that blends both ideas.”
Kyle MacMillan: 303-954-1675 or kmacmillan@denverpost.com
Robert Schumann Festival
Classical music. Conductor Marin Alsop and the Colorado Symphony will perform Schumann’s four symphonies and other orchestral works, with different programs each day. 7:30 p.m. today. Overture to “Genoveva” and Symphony No. 1. 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Symphony No. 2 and Clara Schumann’s Piano Concertina in F minor. 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Symphony No. 3 and 4. $15-$69.50. Pre-concert lectures by Dr. Richard Kogan, a psychiatrist, pianist and Schumann expert, at 6:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Boettcher Concert Hall, Denver Performing Arts Complex, 14th and Curtis streets. 303-623-7876 or colorado .
Schumann Festival Live Broadcasts
Classical music. Colorado Public Radio will broadcast the Schumann concerts live on these stations: KVOD 90.1-FM in Denver; KCFP 91.9-FM in Pueblo, 94.7-FM in Colorado Springs; KPRE 89.9-FM in Vail; KVOV 90.5 in Glenwood Springs; and KPRU 103.3-FM in Delta. 7 p.m. today and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. 303-871-9191 or 800-722-4449 or .
