Between October 1838 and April 1839 Robert Schumann was staying in Vienna, in search of a new publisher of his Neue Zeitschrift fur Musik. That would enable him to start a new life there, together with his fiancée Clara Wieck. But he soon had to conclude that the Austrian censorship in conservative Vienna left no room for his progressive ideas as a composer and publicist. In a letter dated December 30, 1838, he complained to Clara: “You won’t believe the stupidity and brutality that prevails in music here.” In spite of this reversal Schumann kept composing at a staggering rate. He wrote a number of important piano works in the briefest of time, including Arabeske, Op. 18; Blumenstuck, Op. 19; Humoreske, Op. 20; Nachtstucke, Op. 23; and the first four movements of Fascingsschwank, Op. 26. All these works were published in Vienna by Pietro Mechetti. This new release features these masterworks performed by renowned pianist Jozef de Beenhouwer.
