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After dabbing with this passionate Intermezzo intermittently over the past 35 years I finally decided to buckle down and learn it.
Certainly my favorite movement from Schumann's Opus 26.

https://youtu.be/HXZWnO5qLwc

From Wikipedia:

Intermezzo (Mit Größter Energie), E-flat minor
"The Intermezzo is marked by its flowing sound, created by keeping a steady stream of right-hand notes in the background, interspersed with melody notes. The piece, almost entirely based on transpositions, appears difficult at first due to its speed (some musicologists have remarked that Schumann's metronome was calibrated such that it went faster than it should have, due to extreme tempi such as this one). While the background notes in the right hand do indeed move extremely fast, the melody is more singing. The background notes are mostly suited to the shape and position of the hand, despite a few leaps of the melody; in the end, the left hand takes a modified, E-flat major version of the E-flat minor melody, under the right hand. The work is a melancholy and emotionally charged display of a pianist's capability to convey feeling."

Not perfect, but I gave it my best shot.

Nice to hear this piece. It’s the most captivating of the set to me.

It’s in a good place, but a little stiff, eh?

Well Mike, "stiff happens."particularly when the instrument is inherently loud and needs voicing, the digital recorder is in the "ON" position, and the pianist is an amateur in his 70's. That said, I agree it could be a tad more nuanced, while maintaining the speed, accuracy and emotion. Perhaps in another lifetime.

Hi, Carey! I confess that I've never listened to Faschingsschwank aus Wien very closely. For me, the style of the Intermezzo is reminiscent of some of Mendelssohn's Lieder ohne Worte, but Schumann was not as afraid of dissonance as Mendelssohn -- you can hear the "gears grinding" in the pianistic accompaniment. I was fascinated with the seemingly constant shifts between major and minor -- was that a feature of this Opus? In my experience, Schumann was a highly original, often ingenious harmonist whose voicings work on their own terms -- that seemed to me to be a major feature of this piece. Thanks for sharing it!

Excellent observations Tim! I hadn't thought of the similarities between this and "some" of Mendelssohn's "Lieder ohne Worte" but you are correct. Because Schumann was not as afraid of dissonance as Mendelssohn I usually find Schumann's music more innovative, interesting and appealing. He was certainly the most "Romantic" of the two composers. As for the entire Opus 26, it is all about contrast. The 2nd (sad) and 3rd (playful) movements are relatively easy and short. The Intermezzo (4th movement) is also short but more passionate, melancholy and technically difficult. The 1st and 5th movements are longer, lively and more virtuosic with several contrasting sections including (in the 1st) a direct quote of "La Marseillaise."

I really enjoyed listening to your interpretation. Mature and balanced. Solid playing as always that I admire.
Presentation was very good too.
Congratulations.

You really should stop posting these old tapes from the 1970's. And you must have been using a blinking-light metronome (too steady to be unassisted).

Actually Doc I wish I had more decent tapes from the 1970s to post - then perhaps I'd be less inclined to record new repertoire
This one has been on my bucket list....for a long time. Perhaps it was the adrenaline rush. Hope you are doing well !!

Thank you Hakki. You are very kind.

I assure you, the stiffness is generally present for a young man in his 20s, especially if the music is hard and new. I’m sure it’ll disappear as the music “settles”. Even if it doesn’t, this is no less an accomplishment as is.

That's a very good version of this Intermezzo!

Maybe there could be more dynamical variations, like waves on an ocean beach? That's how an excellent performance could become even more fascinating. But I know that talking and suggesting is much easier than playing, and you do such an admirable job

P.S. Interesting choice of paintings!

And for an "older" man in his 70's there are also age-related conditions like arthritis and vision problems that must be factored in to the stiffness equation as well.

Thank you Felix !! I agree with you about the dynamics.....and the "ocean wave" analogy struck me for the first time like a ton of bricks when I added the "boats on the ocean" painting into the visuals accompanying the music. As for the choice of paintings...….it was hard to find any decent images of 19th century Vienna carnival scenes. The Van Gogh paintings, with their "busy" brush strokes and vibrant colors seemed a good fit for the Intermezzo.

Schumann composed the 1st four movements of the Opus 26 (including the Intermezzo) when he was visiting Vienna - so something must have happened there to inspire him.