Schubert vs Schumann Fantasies

Tru, all amazing workz, and ‘greatnezz’ iz a bit ov a ‘moot’ dizcuzzion but

When U think about ‘wut zingle piece wud I put forward to cement diz cumpozaz work az one ov da greatz’ I think da Fant iz da pick

It’z even mentioned in da wiki article

I think it’s the Fantasy and Kreisleriana. I can’t separate them. And Op.13 is only a hair behind, lagging more because of its structural issues than the music itself. The Fantasy and Kreisleriana are both “perfect”.

1 Like

“Franz Liszt, to whom the Fantasie in C major was dedicated, surprisingly never performed it in public. He regarded it as too difficult for a large audience to understand.”
https://www.henle.de/us/music-column/schuhmann-jahr-2010/schumann-anniversary-2010/schumanns-fantasie-opus-17-and-franz-liszts-sonata-in-b-minor/

1 Like

But the Hammerklavier apparently alright IC :face_with_hand_over_mouth:

It’s strange actually, my best guess is that his concern was that such a big work ended with such a long slow movement.

3 Likes

Or maybe he never could get those leaps right :face_with_hand_over_mouth: :face_with_hand_over_mouth:

2 Likes

Hahaha but you have dis anecdote:

“Personal Recollections of Chats with Liszt” by Anton Strelezki (London 1893, p. 4 f.):

He [Schumann] asked me to proceed with the ‘March’, after which he would give me his criticism. I played the second movement, and with such effect that Schumann jumped out of his chair, flung his arms around me, and with tears in his eyes, cried: “Göttlich!”

3 Likes

But I just read online:

“It will be shown that Strelezki’s story is suspect at best and probably completely fallacious, making the source unreliable for scholars of Liszt and related nineteenth-century musicians.”

Summary: Liszt made up that story and he made a mess of those leaps just like anybody else. :stuck_out_tongue:

2 Likes

Haha. No Liszt being scared off by bravura passages, I can’t see that happening. If you consider what he wrote for himself I rather I think he was spurred by them.

2 Likes

Tru, I was once told da 3 greatezt 88 works of da C19th arguably Zhoe fantazy, Pimp zon and Chop 4th ballade.

4 Likes

He worked in periods though -
Piano, vocal, chamber, orchestral - so makes sense that it would be confined to a small amount of time.

1 Like

Wut about :nigga: opus 106 or 111 or Shoobert D960?
Or the Bra Variations
…Worthy of another poll perhaps (What’s the greatest 19th C 88 work)…

Undisputed true romantic era works then. (Completely aware this is opening up another can of worms)

2 Likes

they’re both so fucking awesome, but i guess i go with the schubert 4 hands fantasy over all :sunglasses:

2 Likes

Don’t sleep on Op.9 or Op.12 either. Both on equal footing with Op.17 imo.

And as for Liszt, I read a journalistic report of one of Liszt’s private concerts and he played the Shoe leaps with less strain than anybody else he had heard.

So it’s quite likely that Liszt could play the leaps well but perhaps he was afraid of flubbing them in public (as Horowitz, Hamelin, Richter, etc. all did at some point) and speckling his reputation.

or pozz he thougt da piece wuz a bit zheeyat :sunglasses:

2 Likes

Especially when Liszt’s pupils like Rosenthal noted that he had exceptional accuracy over large distances, even when sightfucking scores

Well, he dedicated the Pimpzon in return so that seems just a bit unlikely!

Liszt generally had a very high opinion of Schumann’s works, saying that the Fantasie was a work of “the highest artistry” or something like that

Now Chopin on the other hand hated Schumann’s music and only commented favorably on the cover art for Op.16…

2 Likes

Maybe he thought da pimpzon wuz a bit zheeyat alzo :sunglasses:

2 Likes

Chopin was also an antisemite

2 Likes

guys I was JOKING

2 Likes