Search - Robert Schumann, Angela Brownridge :: Schumann: Album for the Young, Op. 68

Very Successful Music Making

M. C. Passarella | Lawrenceville, GA | 07/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The idea in this classic collection by Schumann is to take the music seriously enough so that it sounds like the very fine art it is. But take it too seriously and you drain the considerable charm out of Schumann's mostly short piano pieces. Angela Brownridge is successful in negotiating this tricky path; her performances are simple, effective throughout. Even the easiest pieces in the collection are the work of a real artist, and she helps you hear this.



The farther along in the collection you go, the greater the technical and interpretive difficulty, of course, and Schumann doesn't patronize his intended players. He introduces young musicians to drama, local color, tone painting--all the elements that Romantic composers celebrated in their works designed for adult consumption. He also instructs in the art of playing contrapuntal music, chordal music, music based on scales. It's all there, but so artfully presented as always to be good music first and foremost.



As I said, Brownridge plays these pieces with conviction. And Hyperion provides a characteristically truthful piano recording. Very recommendable."