Schumann, Piano Sonata No.3 in F minor Op.14 "Concert sans orchestre" (Vladimir Horowitz)

Schumann, Piano Sonata No.3 in F minor Op.14 "Concert sans orchestre" (Vladimir Horowitz)

R.Schumann's Piano Sonata No.3 in F minor Op.14 "Concert sans orchestre", with with a theme-and-structure analysis and synchronized sheet music (score)
Performance: Vladimir Horowitz (piano), 1976/02/14-29 & 05/09 (ⓟ 1976) Stereo, Massey Hall, Toronto
Analysis, Score Editing, Synch: ScoreMan

00:00 Movement 1: Allegro brillante
08:04 Movement 2: Scherzo. Molto commodo
13:40 Movement 3: Quasi variazioni. Andantino de Clara Wieck
21:55 Movement 4: Prestissimo possible


OVERVIEW

Schumann’s Sonata No.3 in F minor, Op.14 is a powerful, orchestral-scale work for solo piano, marked by passion, intimacy, and technical brilliance — a “concerto without orchestra” in every sense.


HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Early Version (1836): Schumann originally wrote the work as a grand-scale sonata in three movements, characterized by fiery energy and dense textures.
Revision (1853): Later, at the urging of Clara Schumann and his publisher, Schumann revised the piece, adding a new slow movement (Quasi variazioni: Andantino de Clara Wieck), based on a theme Clara had composed. This helped balance the virtuosic outer movements with more lyrical content.
The title Concert sans orchestre (“Concerto without orchestra”) was applied by the publisher to emphasize its scale and difficulty, almost like a piano concerto compressed into a solo sonata.

MUSICAL SIGNIFICANCE

This sonata represents Schumann’s ambition to push the piano sonata into new expressive and structural territories, closer to the grandeur of orchestral or concerto writing.
Its blend of stormy Romantic intensity with intimate lyricism makes it a quintessential Schumann work.
While not as frequently performed as his Op.11 or Op.22 sonatas, it has gained recognition among pianists for its unique character — both symphonic and personal.
The inclusion of Clara’s theme in the Andantino underscores the personal nature of Schumann’s music, where love and biography often intertwine with art.



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