Schumann: Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18

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Robert Schumann's Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18. is a piano piece that’s both light and delicate. On June 17, 2023, Tiffany Poon—a pianist from New York—played this gem at the Dresden Music Festival at the Palais im Großen Garten.

Schumann (1810-1856) composed the Arabeske while living in Vienna from 1838 to 1839. He considered it to be closely related to Blumenstück Op. 19, which was composed around the same time. The two pieces are very similar in terms of their composition, and even more so stylistically. On several occasions, Schumann referred to them disparagingly, describing them as "weak and for women.” But their reception proved him wrong. Even today, the Arabeske is often played as an encore. Incidentally, Schumann took the title of the piece, ‘Arabeske’ (Arabesque) from the visual arts. The term refers to a sweeping, circular ornament. Schumann was the first composer to use the word 'Arabeske' as a musical term.

Structurally, the Arabeske resembles a rondo. The opening sequence repeats itself twice. The delicate opening is followed by a more chordal section where everything becomes more compact, formulaic, and concise. After repetition of the first section, a new passage follows, but its mood is not too different the beginning sequence. The piece finishes with a final reflection that’s almost pensive, reminiscent of "Der Dichter spricht" from Schumann's famous Kinderszenen, Op. 15.

Tiffany Poon was born in Hong Kong in 1996. She started taking piano lessons at age of four. She moved to New York when she was nine, where she attended the Juilliard School Pre-College program. Poon made her concert debut at the age of 10. She graduated from high school in 2014 and continued her piano studies in an exchange program between Columbia University and The Juilliard School. Poon also studied philosophy. In 2018, she graduated from Columbia with a Bachelor of Arts. Today, she performs worldwide both with an orchestra and as a soloist. In 2017, she started a YouTube project to share a more personal side of herself. She has an impressive social media presence, with 320,000 followers on YouTube alone. Poon also works with the community through her charity, Together with Classical, which supports musicians during their education and brings together classical music lovers from around the world. Her new album with works by Robert Schumann, "Diaries: Schumann," has been available since February 9, 2024.

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