Carnaval “Little Scenes on Four Notes”, Op. 9 by Robert Schumann is a large-scale programmatic masterwork originally written for solo piano in 1834-35. It is written in 21 short movements, each representing a different masked attendee at the Carnival festival.
Each movement is a caricature of real-life characters in musical form - the faces of Schumann himself, along with his friends and colleagues. The original piano work is a virtuoso kaleidoscope of character pieces, and ensemble132’s rendition amplifies these qualities through its use of collaborative chamber writing.
Sam’s original concept of this arrangement started out in 2015 as a cello quintet featuring ambitious scordatura techniques.
Complete Program:
Clara Schumann Romances, Op. 22
Johannes Brahms Piano Quartet in C Minor, Op. 60
Schumann/Hong "Carnaval," Op. 9 for piano quartet