Search - Robert Schumann, Barbara Nissman :: Schumann by Nissman

Schumann's wild mood swings evoked

I. Dando | Christchurch, New Zealand | 05/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Barbara Nissman captures the crazy mood swings of Schumann's split personality. Hear in Kreisleriana how she can swing from introspective sadness to euphoria so decisively. She can sure portray through her passionate playing how Robert fell hopelessly off the deep end for his future wife Clara - the dedicatee for his Byronic Fantasia. With those two you have the best of his piano writing. But she surrounds these with smaller works such as Traumerai to show up her tender poetry, Arabeske for her whispering filagree playing and the fiendishly tough Toccata to bring out her powerful bravura technique. The tricky thing with Schmuann is his chord texture and how quickly these leap around. Nissamn is so clean and fast with her crisp chording. All these gifts make her the ideal Schumann interpreter.

Ian Dando. Music Critic New Zealand Listener."