About this Piece

Schumann’s creative impulses operated in extremely narrow ranges of repertoire at various times in his life. After composing primarily for the piano until 1840, the year of his marriage to Clara Wieck, Schumann turned to the writing of song, and only after the outpouring of emotions into some 120 vocal pieces did he make his first serious move into the symphonic realm, producing two symphonies in 1841.

Having taken on the full orchestra, Schumann turned to chamber music in 1842. In quick succession starting in June, he turned out three string quartets, a piano trio, a piano quintet, and the present piano quartet; both the quartet and quintet are in the key of E-flat. Portions of the last two works were composed simultaneously—perhaps there was method to Schumann’s setting both pieces in the same key. However, the father bestowed distinct identities upon each of his E-flat chamber children, and if the quintet emerged as the grander of the two, the quartet is still a splendid specimen.

The work opens with a brief, slow introduction, which reappears twice in altered form during the course of the movement and which contains a four-note motif that is the basis of the Allegro’s main theme. This melody, along with a more energetic idea beginning with an ascending minor-key scale figure, dominates the movement. The Scherzo that follows, all staccato vigor and rushing fantasy imagery, is interrupted by two contrasting trios, each of these shot through with the Scherzo’s impetuosity. The movement ends with a whispered echo of the first trio.

The slow movement offers one of Schumann’s most achingly romantic melodies, breathed first by the cello. This theme embodies the 19th century’s quintessential longing and unrest with its major and minor sevenths reaching upward and then falling sighingly. Toward the end of this Andante, the cello is instructed to tune its lowest string, a C, down to B-flat so that in the final measures it can provide a pedal bass in octaves of the tonic of the key. During these measures, the theme of the Vivace last movement is previewed softly and at a slow tempo in the manner of Schumann’s literary alter ego, the poetic dreamer Eusebius; when the theme fully emerges in the finale, it is set forth with the empathic vigor of Eusebius’ opposite, the volatile Florestan.

This main theme—a falling fifth and an ascending sixth followed by 16th-note figures—is treated fugally and later set into sharp contrast to more lyrical material. At movement’s end, three of the thematic ideas are combined ingeniously, a fourth theme returns fleetingly, and the work concludes with great thrust, with the piano continuing to play the dominant role it has been allotted.

—Orrin Howard