Yaara Tal – Love? Homage to Clara Schumann (2019) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

13 September 2019 marks the 200th birthday of Clara Schumann, one of the most important musicians of the 19th century: a virtuoso pianist and composer, more and more of whose works are now being recorded. The pieces on this album, which has been intelligently compiled by pianist Yaara Tal, tell their own story of the friendships and impossible loves which gravitated around the Schumanns.

Pianists Yaara Tal and Andreas Groethuysen, the tenor Julian Pregardien and the Bavaria Radio Choir led by Yuval Weinberg go through Clara’s works (her Three Romances, Op.11), and the young Brahms (the Variations on a theme by Schumann and a curious arrangement for tenor, female choir and piano from the famous Alto Rhapsody). To round off the circle of artists that the Schumanns had assembled around themselves, we also hear pieces from the composer Julie von Webenau, who studied under Mozart’s son before studying with the Schumanns, and also Theodor Kirchner, who was briefly taught by Robert, and then Clara’s partner. He would also dedicate to her his Preludes, Op.9. A prolific composer, he left behind compositions for the piano, the organ, and pages of chamber music. – François Hudry

Tracklist:
1. Yaara Tal – I. L’Adieu. Moderato (05:21)
2. Yaara Tal – II. Le Retour. Allegretto (06:45)
3. Yaara Tal – I. Andante (02:48)
4. Yaara Tal – III. Moderato (03:54)
5. Yaara Tal – II. Andante (05:50)
6. Yaara Tal – Preludes, Op. 9, No. 10: Cantabile (01:54)
7. Yaara Tal – Preludes, Op. 9, No. 11: Allegro brillante (01:08)
8. Yaara Tal – Preludes, Op. 9, No. 13: Allegro con passione (01:29)
9. Yaara Tal – I. Thema. Leise und innig (01:32)
10. Yaara Tal – II. Variation 1. L’istesso Tempo. Andante molto moderato (01:20)
11. Yaara Tal – III. Variation 2 (01:28)
12. Yaara Tal – IV. Variation 3 (01:37)
13. Yaara Tal – V. Variation 4 (01:54)
14. Yaara Tal – VI. Variation 5. Poco piú animato (01:11)
15. Yaara Tal – VII. Variation 6. Allegro non troppo (01:14)
16. Yaara Tal – VIII. Variation 7. Con moto. L’istesso tempo (01:07)
17. Yaara Tal – IX. Variation 8. Poco più vivo (00:47)
18. Yaara Tal – X. Variation 9 (01:58)
19. Yaara Tal – XI. Variation 10. Molto moderato, alla marcia (03:19)
20. Yaara Tal – Rhapsodie, Op. 53 (Arr. for Tenor, Female Choir and Piano) (11:11)