Pianist And Commentator

Pianist and commentator Rachel Franklin reviews a new compact disc of songs by Robert Schumann. Setting the poetry of Heinrich Heine (HEYE-neh), Schumann is actually telling the story of his intense love affair with Clara Wieck (VEEK), which resulted in their marriage in 1840. Baritone Wolfgang Holzmair (V(OO)LF-gahng HOHLTS-meye-er) and pianist Imogen Cooper use these songs ("Liederkreis," "Dichterliebe" and seven others) to convey all the drama of Schumann's tumultuous life in that period, Franklin says. (Philips 446 086-2)