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Robert Schumann: Eriikka Maalismaa The Violin Sonatas
Robert Schumann: Eriikka Maalismaa The Violin Sonatas
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Schumann’s three violin sonatas
Robert Schumann composed his three sonatas for violin and piano between
1851 and 1853, only a few years before his death at the psychiatric hospital in
Endenich. The second sonata was born almost immediately after the first, and
both works were heard at the Schumanns’ Düsseldorf residence, played by the
local orchestra’s concert master, Wilhelm Joseph von Wasiewski, as well as the
virtuosos Ferdinand David and Joseph Joachim, with Clara Schumann on the
piano. The same group was also responsible for the first public performances,
and the second sonata in particular became a staple of Joseph Joachim and
Clara Schumann’s repertoire for many years.
It is commonly asserted that Schumann was dissatisfied with the first sona-
ta, and that this was what spurred him to follow it up with the larger second
sonata. Though one comes across this claim time and again in Schumann
literature, it is over-interpretation that misses the composer’s irony, based on
a few throwaway sentences in the correspondence of his close circles. It was
usual for Schumann to compose multiple works of the same genre in one go,
and he was more likely reacting to the unsatisfactory first performance of the
finale movement. We know from our own experience that capturing its chat-
tering, persistent character is a challenge; it is as if the music were striving to
free itself into virtuosic runs, but its roots are too firmly in the ground.
The genesis and survival of the third violin sonata make for a much more
complicated story. It began with Schumann’s idea for a new piece written
jointly with his friends, in honor of Joseph Joachim. Two of his composer
friends, Albert Dietrich and Johannes Brahms, both composed one move-
ment each, while Schumann himself wrote two. The idea was to use a motive
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derived from Joachim’s motto Frei aber einsam (“free but lonely”), for which
the work later became known as the F-A-E Sonata. A copyist was hired in or-
der that the handwriting would not reveal the authorship of each movement.
Joachim was asked to perform the sonata with Clara Schumann and then con-
clude by trying to identify the composers. He succeeded in the guessing game,
as one would expect. Much more surprising is that Clara Schumann and Jo-
seph Joachim were able to sight-read such a technically demanding work.
Inspired by the joyful occasion, Schumann immediately wrote two addi-
tional movements – the first and third – which, together with the movements
taken from the F-A-E Sonata, formed his third violin sonata. It is unclear
whether this was his plan from the start, but this new manifestation of the
work is discussed affectionately in the correspondence of his close social cir-
cles.
A few months after the sonata’s completion, Schumann asked to be tak-
en into the closed ward of a psychiatric institution, having attempted sui-
cide by jumping into the Rhine. It is known that, by this time, the complete
sonata had been performed at home, and that Schumann was making plans
for its publication. However, only the copied score of the F-A-E Sonata and
a very tentative manuscript of the two additional movements survive. It is
not possible to play directly from the manuscript: every conceivable reprise
along with its key change is indicated only with textual descriptions, and
an entire bar is missing. We know that Clara Schumann considered pub-
lishing the second and third movements as stand-alone fantasy pieces but
gave up on the idea due to Joachim’s objections. The existence of the third
movement was also widely known at the end of the 19th century. It is cer-
tain, then, that there has been a more complete version of the piece at some
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point. Why did Clara not want to publish the finished composition? Did
she destroy the manuscript? We can only speculate about a possible connec-
tion between the fate of the score and Robert’s mental breakdown, but it is
entirely possible that the work was lost later on, for reasons unrelated to her.
Either way, we are lucky that even this incomplete material survives! For
the performer, however, it poses a number of critical questions. It is safe to
presume that the dynamics and other performance instructions of the first
and third movements are incomplete and unfinished. The first movement is
clearly comprised of a slow introduction, followed by a fast section, although
tempo markings for this structure are absent. One can also assume that slow
metronome markings are characteristic of all three sonatas. Recapitulations
within the first movement, if executed following Schumann’s instructions lit-
erally, end up outside the violin’s range. Some accidentals are also open to
interpretation. In these cases, we have either relied on our own judgement or
followed the example of O.W. Neighbour’s edition.
The aforementioned missing bar is more problematic, as it is situated at a
dramaturgically critical moment: it is the last measure before the recapitula-
tion, when the tension of the entire piece has reached its peak. We opted to
fill in the missing notes ourselves, taking the final bar of the first movement
introduction as our model. There are a number of interesting corrections in
the last movement of the sonata, which are probably in the hand of Joachim,
and made in collaboration with Robert Schumann. We find that they work
very well in their harmonic and voice-leading context.
– Eriikka Maalismaa & Emil Holmström
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Schumann and period instruments
These tracks have been recorded on an 1862 Erard grand piano. Sébastien
Erard was one of the most significant, if not the most significant, piano maker
of his time, whose numerous inventions from the 1820s onwards gradually
transformed the fortepiano into the modern grand piano we know today.
From a pianist’s point of view, the period between the 1830s and 1890s is an ex-
tremely interesting one. This was a time when various piano companies – some
of which are still in business – were in active competition, coming up with their
own technical solutions, plagiarizing each other, or doggedly holding on to tra-
ditional principles. This pluralism was significantly influenced by the numer-
ous pianist-composers of the day, among them Robert Schumann.
In order to conceptualize and interpret the piano literature of this period,
it is imperative to be aware of the contrasting and highly developed timbral
characteristics of its instruments. This forces the performer to avoid the
temptation of defining the sound through the features of the modern pi-
ano. The Schumanns didn’t own an Erard grand piano, a high-end luxury
instrument of its day, but Erards were the primary concert instrument choice
of numerous pianists, including Liszt. It is likely that Clara Schumann and
Joseph Joachim performed the violin sonatas on instruments much like the
ones we use on this recording.
At the time of writing, it is not yet common to perform Schumann’s music
on period instruments (although, fortunately, highly accomplished perfor-
mances do exist!), and so it is pertinent to draw attention to how dissimi-
lar these instruments are to their contemporary offspring. The Erard grand
piano I play on is extremely agile, with a brilliant tone, but a big sound or
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wide dynamic range are not among its attributes. Musical gestures speak in
expressive, short-lived moments on this instrument, which is why one has
to inspect Schumann’s markings closely and utilize all dynamic, tempo, and
timbral means available in shaping the resulting sound. Certain expressive
devices used by Baroque musicians have proved helpful: for example, chord
arpeggiation is a useful tool for balancing and creating dynamic variation.
Another characteristic feature of the Erard heard on this recording is its
sluggish damping rate which creates a specific kind of distortion around the
pitches. This can sometimes be a challenge when seeking clarity in complex,
articulated textures, but it also assists in painting wondrous musical land-
scapes in dusky outlines. – Emil Holmström
The first time I truly immersed myself in the world of unvarnished gut strings
was when I took part in the founding of the Ristiveto Festival in Helsinki, with
the uncommon objective of performing late Romantic and early modernist
repertoire on period instruments. The unfamiliar touch appealed to me im-
mediately, and I noticed that my 250-year-old violin adapted to the change very
well. There was a human quality to the multifaceted and warm, nuanced timber,
while altering my playing technique felt like an ongoing pleasant challenge.
With unvarnished gut strings, the tone doesn’t come to you for free, and
they are quick to punish any careless or too forceful attempts. The dynamic
range, especially on the high E string, is limited, and the modern way of play-
ing with a high degree of pressure tends to break the tone. Fortunately, the
Erard grand piano is the perfect companion within this softer sound world.
Schumann’s sonatas were relatively unknown territory for me until Emil
and I decided, in 2016, to tackle all three of them as one project. These works
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– which are not particularly attractive to most violinists – take their time to
grow on you. Playing the sonatas of Beethoven and Brahms can be more im-
mediately rewarding, as they do greater justice to the violin’s bright, singing
qualities. Schumann, on the other hand, loves to dwell in the middle register,
and his melodic writing can shift abruptly into a thorny dance. Yet, at the
end, I have completely lost myself to this music. All the inner turmoil, rest-
lessness and struggle make the inherent beauty and ecstasy all the greater.
The music lives in this moment, not as something to be admired from afar.
The middle movement of the first sonata is a winding and chattering song,
simple and friendly. It is followed by the much more peculiar finale: like
the stern hammering and yakking of a relentless machine, which gets inter-
rupted by an enraptured and quintessentially Schumann-esque triplet-based
theme. The first movement brings to mind, at the risk of cliché, a tempestu-
ous sea, an ever higher reaching wave. The second sonata is a long and sol-
emn magnum opus, an aptly named Grosse Sonate. Its expansive, sturdy outer
movements bookend middle movements soaked in fantasy. The piano part
of the slow movement floats at times into outer space, enriching the simple
melody. The trio sections of the Scherzo create an intimate atmosphere and
bring comfort in the midst of all the violent hammering.
It is the third sonata – like a wounded animal, patched up in bandages –
that has become the nearest to both our hearts. Hidden away by Clara Schu-
mann, this last extensive composition by Robert has been written only mo-
ments before his confinement in a mental institution. The first movement,
while tearing itself apart, also introduces one of the most tender secondary
themes. On this recording, the sonatas are not ordered chronologically but
with an eye towards an effective concert program. – Eriikka Maalismaa
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Photo Matti Kyllönen
eriikka maalismaa is one of the most active musicians in Finland. She
performs regularly at festivals at home and abroad, arranges concerts, and
designs programs for her multiple ensembles. She was the assistant concert
master of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra from 2006 to 2016, and con-
tinues her career as a soloist and chamber musician. She plays frequently as
the orchestral leader and concertmaster with the Tapiola Sinfonietta, the
Avanti! Chamber Orchestra, the Jousia Ensemble, and performs as a guest
player with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Maalismaa is also a member
of the Avanti String Quartet. She studied at the Sibelius Academy and the
Edsberg Chamber Music Institute.
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emil holmström has performed as a soloist and chamber musician
throughout Europe, the Americas, Japan, and Australia. He appears frequent-
ly at Finnish music festivals and concert series and has been a featured so-
loist with notable Finnish orchestras, such as the Finnish Radio Symphony
Orchestra, the Lapland Chamber Orchestra, the Lahti Symphony Orchestra,
and Tapiola Sinfonietta. An ardent champion of new music, Holmström is
a member of Finnish groups defunensemble and Uusinta Ensemble, and
plays as a regular guest with the Avanti! Chamber Orchestra. Holmström has
worked as a recording artist for Alba Records and the Finnish Broadcasting
Company, and made numerous world premiere recordings. Holmström, who
takes a special interest in 19th-century pianos, graduated from the Sibelius
Academy, where he studied with Erik T. Tawaststjerna. He was also a student
of Marie-Françoise Bucquet in Paris.
maalismaa and holmström have worked as a duo since 2011. They are
co-directors of both the Ristiveto Festival, which specializes in performing
late 19th-century music on period instruments, and the Classical Hietsu
concert series in Helsinki. Their piano trio Tristero focuses on contemporary
music.
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emil holmström
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eriikka maalismaa
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eriikka maalismaa on suomalainen viulisti, joka jakaa aikansa lukuisten
kamarimusiikillisten projektien ja konserttien järjestämisen välillä. Hän on
kysytty vieras festivaaleilla ja konserttisarjoissa, sekä konserttimestaritehtä-
vissä eri orkestereissa. Maalismaata työllistävät mm. Avanti! Kamariorkeste-
ri, Jousia Ensemble, Avanti-kvartetti, Euroopan kamariorkesteri ja Tapiola
Sinfonietta. Maalismaa on opiskellut Sibelius-Akatemiassa ja Edsbergin ka-
marimusiikki-instituutissa, sekä työskennellyt Helsingin kaupunginorkeste-
rin II konserttimestarina.
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robert schumann (1810–1856)
abcd 438
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