The Young Schumann, the new release by British pianist Charles Owen, is a musical narrative of Robert Schumann’s early career, featuring works written in the 1830s when the composer was in his 20s.

His first two published works, Abegg Variations and Papillons, the impetuous six Intermezzi, Op. 4, and the characterful Carnaval, Op. 9, are all fuelled by some of Schumann’s compositional hallmarks: his imagination and attraction to the fantastical, his love of ciphers and cryptograms, and his frequent quoting of each work within the others.

ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810–1856)
Carnaval, Op. 9
1. No. 1, Préambule 2. No. 2, Pierrot 3. No. 3, Arlequin 4. No. 4, Valse noble 5. No. 5, Eusebius 6. No. 6, Florestan 7. No. 7, Coquette 8. No. 8, Réplique 9. No. 9, Papillons 10. No. 10, Lettres dansantes 11. No. 11, Chiarina 12. No. 12, Chopin 13. No. 13, Estrella 14. No. 14, Reconnaissance 15. No. 15, Pantalon et Colombine 16. No. 16, Valse allemande 17. No. 17, Paganini 18. No. 18, Aveu 19. No. 19, Promenade 20. No. 20, Pause 21. No. 21, Marche des Davidsbündler contre les Philistins

Papillons, Op. 2
22. Introduction. Moderato – No.1, Waltz in D Major 23. No. 2, Waltz in E Flat Major. Prestissimo 24. No. 3, Waltz in F Sharp Minor 25. No. 4, Waltz in A Major. Presto 26. No. 5, Polonaise in B Flat Major 27. No. 6, Waltz in D Minor 28. No. 7, Waltz in F Minor. Semplice 29. No. 8, Waltz in C Sharp Minor 30. No. 9, Waltz in B Flat Minor. Prestissimo 31. No. 10, Waltz in C Major. Vivo – Più lento 32. No. 11, Polonaise in D Major 33. No. 12, Finale in D Major

Intermezzi, Op.4
34. I. Allegro quasi maestoso 35. II. Presto a capriccio 36. III. Allegro marcato 37. IV. Allegro semplice 38. V. Allegro moderato 39. VI. Allegro

40. Variations on the name ‘Abegg’, Op. 1

This magnificently hued, delicately controlled new recording opens on Schumanns’s Carnaval, Op. 9 which begins on the strident No. 1, Préambule, the dignified No. 2, Pierrot, the playful No. 3, Arlequin, a velvet touch within No. 4, Valse noble, and the ornate No. 5, Eusebius, and then proceeds to bring us the gently spirited No. 6, Florestan, the resplendent No. 7, Coquette, a stylized No. 8, Réplique, the flourishing No. 9, Papillons, and an effective No. 10, Lettres dansantes, before rounding the work out on the elegant No. 11, Chiarina, the stately No. 12, Chopin, the confident No. 13, Estrella, the effervescent No. 14, Reconnaissance, a peppy No. 15, Pantalon et Colombine, and closes on a dutiful engaging No. 16, Valse allemande, the free flowing No. 17, Paganini, the sweeping No. 18, Aveu, the delicate, yet forthright No. 19, Promenade, the abounding, twenty second No. 20, Pause, and finally the emphatic No. 21, Marche des Davidsbündler contre les Philistins.

Up next is Schumanns’s Papillons, Op. 2, which opens on an enraptured Introduction. Moderato – No.1, Waltz in D Major, a short, but sweet No. 2, Waltz in E Flat Major. Prestissimo, the compelling No. 3, Waltz in F Sharp Minor and the dance floor swirls and twirls of No. 4, Waltz in A Major. Presto, and then we get brought forth the gently affecting No. 5, Polonaise in B Flat Major, the spirited No. 6, Waltz in D Minor, the compassionate No. 7, Waltz in F Minor. Semplice, the respectfully forceful No. 8, Waltz in C Sharp Minor, the floweringly paced No. 9, Waltz in B Flat Minor. Prestissimo, the work rounding out on the confidence shown within No. 10, Waltz in C Major. Vivo – Più lento, the impassioned No. 11, Polonaise in D Major, closing on the veritably euphoric No. 12, Finale in D Major

Along next is his Intermezzi, Op.4, which begins with a determined Allegro quasi maestoso, the assured Presto a capriccio and the musical preciseness of Allegro marcato, and then we get the secureness of sounds within Allegro semplice, the gorgeously crafted Allegro moderato, rounding out on the fervently-imbibed confidence of Allegro, the album as a whole coming to a close on a wholly engaging, completely enraptured Variations on the name ‘Abegg’, Op. 1.

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