A Reverie of the Soul:
Piano Works by Robert Schumann
By
Written by
Steve Sheppard
The fluency of classical performances by pianist Sophia Agranovich has been on my
musical radar for some seven years now, ever since the release of her album in
2019 entitled Celebrating Chopin, now
as we establish a foothold in 2026, a new release has come to the fore, as we
celebrate her latest gift to us ever eager listeners entitled, A Reverie of the Soul: Piano Works by
Robert Schumann.
Robert Schuman himself was regarded as a master of
his style and perhaps even of the romantic era, an era characterized by the
poetic nature, musical cryptograms, and a deep sense of romantic fantasy within
the tone and timbre of the times.
On Sonata No. 2 in G
minor, Op. 22 - I So rasch wie möglich, there is a wonderful hunger about
her performance, one that is beautifully juxtaposed to the following narrative
entitled Sonata No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22
- II Andantino. Getragen, this would be my personal favourite from the
album, it contains a manner that is lighter than andante, and tenderly quicker.
Attached to this moment of sublime mastery are the following arrangements in
Sonata No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22 - III Scherzo. Sehr rasch und
markiert, a piece
highlighted by me for its power and precision, one that flows with a pristine
ease into the next flourishing narrative entitled Sonata No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22 - IV Rondo. Presto possible,
Prestissimo, quasi cadenza, symbiotically sublime and textured along with
pace and intent, but with a delightfully tender refrain which juxtaposes the
more rapid structures.
We now look at the next stage of the album through the eyes
of Schumann’s Symphonic Etudes, this
collection of short form pieces are each a tale to tell on their own, Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 - Thema Andante
begins our voyage of plenty, the slow movements stand out, they are absolutely
glorious and free of the clichés of some andante playing, whilst a more proud,
almost regal musical pontification can be found here on Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 - Etude I (Variation 1) – Un poco più vivo,
the staccato onward marching ethic supremely performed here by the artist.
On Symphonic Etudes,
Op. 13 - Etude II (Variation 2) – Espressivo, we find a totally flourishing
narrative being unveiled, masterful work with both hands playing light and dark,
shadow and sunlight, and the keystrokes are gloriously textured. Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 - Etude III –
Vivace has an incredibly pristine feel to its performance, this
presentation is beyond just speed, it directs the performer to play with
energy, brilliance, and an upbeat vibe, whilst Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 - Etude IV (Variation 3) – Allegro marcato,
illustrates the perfect rhythm and energy of the movement.
As we move through this realm of performance mastery by
Agranovich we arrive at Symphonic
Etudes, Op. 13 - Etude V (Variation 4) – Scherzando, we can add to the
aforementioned previous comment that an even more stylish rhythm can be found
on this narrative, in an especially tender way too. Symphonic Etudes, Op.
13 - Etude VI (Variation 5) – Agitato, expresses a precision narrative that is deeply palpable, it
jumps to great lengths, sometimes using a slightly unstable rhythm to create a
feeling of excitement or distress.
Symphonic Etudes, Op.
13 - Etude VII (Variation 6) – Allegro molto, here one can explore this veritable fireworks
display of the movement with great aplomb, one which transforms our journey
into the more dramatic flair of the piece Symphonic
Etudes, Op. 13 - Etude VIII (Variation 7) – Sempre marcatissimo, where each
note is a sharp, forceful attack so it stands out to the ever eager and
cultured listener.
With the delicacy of Symphonic
Etudes, Op. 13 - Etude IX – Presto possibile, presto is of course Italian
for "fast" or "quick", in standard tempo rankings, it’s one
of the highest, and here Agranovich shows her utter skillset in achieving a
movement of incredibly high quality. Her touch here is exquisite, and is to be
respected in its consistency.
Then onwards in this stunning reverie of a skill filled
performance we find ourselves nestled in the valleys of Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 - Etude X (Variation 8) – Sempre con energia,
a defined energy-related marking to push the physical boundaries of the piano
can be found here, the very soul of the overall narrative can be located in
this wondrous movement of style and class.
We can now draw towards the latter half of this section with Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 - Etude XI
(Variation 9) – Con espressione, to slightly accelerate or decelerate the
tempo to highlight a phrase is no mean feat, but one that Agranovich achieves
with ease, in this incredibly heart felt and emotive movement.
This of course is our concluding tale to tell as we move into
the welcome and joyous lands of Symphonic
Etudes, Op. 13 - Etude XII (Finale) – Allegro brillante, here the listener
can find pomp and circumstance, a proud regalia of a piece, sweeping tones and
vibrations, bringing a glorious sun kissed ending to this magnificent section
of the album.
Arabeske in C Major,
Op. 18 is our
penultimate piece, a creation that is another personal favourite of mine, graceful,
flowing, and decorative melodic lines can be found here, there is a certain
feeling of a romantic nature at work here too, the sensitivity through the
piece is delightful and almost poetic at times, and indeed incredibly intimate
too.
Papillons, Op. 2 is our final offering from the
album, French for butterflies,
Papillons builds upon a steady onward structure throughout this long form opus,
one can envisage dancers and the dance of both butterflies and humans
juxtaposing each other in a natural movement in time, this work is a testament
to the artists performance structure, and shows in great detail just how
adaptable and fluent she can be at all times, and a simply superb way with
which to leave the album.
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