Two Studies On The "Schumann Theme Variations"

In the 19 th century, two famous composers Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms composed two pieces of Variations on a Theme by Schumann according to the same subject from the first piece of Album Leaf in Color Set op.99 by Robert Schuman. Clara Schumann was born in Leipzig on September 13, 1819, died in Frankfurt on May 20, 1896, the German female pianist, composer, piano educationist. She learned piano since she was 5 years old, gave concert when she was 9 nine years old and appeared on the Leipzig music circle at 11 years old. She was the wife of Robert Schuman, the famous German pianist, composer and music critic. She composed 6 pieces of piano variations and a large number of art songs in her lifetime, and she once edited the Complete Works of Robert Schumann. Clara Schumann made great achievements in piano performance, education and composition and etc, which produced profound influences on the later generations, she was one of the few great European female pianists in 19 th century. Johannes Brahms was born in Hamburg, Germany on May 7, 1833. His compositions rooted in the strict composition techniques of the German classic music, and fused with the innovative techniques of Romanticism, he composed a large number of piano works in his lifetime, and was called “Three B” in the German music history together with Bach and Beethoven.In this article, it explores the variation techniques and style performance of the decorative variation and character variation popular in the 19 th variations according to the two pieces of variations composed on the same subject.