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Donald Macleod explores a period of illness and suffering in Schuman鈥檚 life, when he also completed his exuberant piano concerto.

Robert Schumann鈥檚 early training was focused towards his ambition to become a celebrated concert pianist, but a hand injury quickly put that career option out of reach. Schumann turned instead to composition and put all that piano study to good use, writing many important works for his own instrument. This week, Composer of the Week unpacks the moments in Schumann life when he was creating some of his most famous and notable piano works, including one of the most iconic romantic pianos concertos of all time.

Schumann suffered a nervous breakdown during the mid-1840s and he plunged into a period of deep depression. He was also plagued by many other physical ailments and was advised by doctors to try an array of different treatments, including cold baths, which seemed to do some good. The Schumanns decided to move to Dresden, in order to seek better opportunities in closer proximity to the Saxon royal court, and Schumann completed one of his most popular works: his richly romantic Piano Concerto.

The Merry Peasant, Op 68 No 10 (from Album f眉r die Jugend)
Luba Edlina, piano

Piano Concerto in A minor, Op 54
Martha Argerich, piano
Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana
Alexandre Rabinovitch-Barakovsky, conductor

Symphony No 2 in C major, Op 61 (Scherzo)
Chamber Orchestra of Europe
Yannick N茅zet-S茅guin, conductor

Piano Trio No 1 in D minor, Op 63 (excerpt)
Christian Tetzlaff, violin
Tanja Tetzlaff, cello
Leif Ove Andsnes, piano

Produced by Luke Whitlock, for 大象传媒 Wales