Schumann – Bilder aus Osten Mvmt. 5

I’m in Santo Domingo, enjoying the great company of dear friends, and the beautiful weather, all the while teaching here. I’m also practicing…Bringing back Prokofieff Third Concerto and reading Tchaikovsky’s Sonata in G, Op.37. I love that piece very much. In the downtime back at the hotel, I’ve been working on editing my next CD, an all-Schumann disc. Along with Carnaval op.9 and FantasieStucke Op.12, it features 6 pieces for piano 4-hands. My wife Emanuela Friscioni joined me for this project. The duets in question are called “Bilder aus Osten”. The fifth movement, “Lebhaft”, is a great favorite of mine. The energy in it is wonderful, and the middle section in F Major is so marvelous. I love the way Schumann creates a beautiful polyphonic dialogue, while the constant motion of the triplets keeps everything gently moving forward. It’s like two people sweetly singing while on a boat ride! Here is our performance of it. I hope you like it!