Ludwig Schuncke - Piano Sonata Op.3

Sylviane Deferne - Piano
00:00 Allegro
07:12 Scherzo
09:56 Andante Sostenuto
14:43 Finale
Ludwig Schuncke (1810-1834) was a totally not obscure German Pianist and Composer. Everybody knew him! He was a close friend of Robert Schumann...
He demonstrated his talents very early, and they were encouraged. In March 1822, aged only 11, he performed Johann Nepomuk Hummel's Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 85, under the direction of Louis Spohr. He then went on a concert tour of Germany. Carl Maria von Weber expressed his approval of Schuncke’s early compositions.
He went to Paris for study, where his main teachers were Friedrich Kalkbrenner, Anton Reicha and Henri Herz, and where he also had friendships with people such as Hector Berlioz, Sigismond Thalberg and Johann Peter Pixis.
After completing his studies, he returned to Germany. In Stuttgart, he made the acquaintance of Frédéric Chopin after hearing him perform his Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor. Schuncke dedicated his Capriccio in C minor, Op.10, to Chopin.
He then moved to Vienna, Prague and Dresden, appearing in concert, before finally settling in Leipzig in December 1833. He lived in a boarding house and his room was next door to that of Robert Schumann, whose very close friend he became. Schuncke was one of the co-founders of the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, and one of its early contributors, under the pseudonym "Jonathan". He was also a member of Schumann's Davidsbund.
Schuncke helped Schumann through his crisis of 1833-34, in which he had a serious depressive illness leading to a suicide attempt, and his brother and sister-in-law both died.[14] Schumann in turn nursed Schuncke through his own final illness. Ludwig Schuncke died on 7 December 1834, two weeks before his 24th birthday, of tuberculosis.
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[@SCRIABINIST]

Very beautiful first theme. Simplicity at its finest!

[@Leonid1969-e8d]

It is difficult to imagine what the history of culture and, in particular, the history of music would be, if all its creators had lived to old age. But fate has a capricious disposition: sending talented people into this world, she very often quickly took them away, not giving them time to open up and do everything they were called to. This affected both Schumann himself, who lived only 46 years old, and finished writing even earlier, and two of his friends: August Norbert Burgmüller (who drowned at the age of 26) and Ludwig Schunke, who did not even live to 24. Let's remember how long Purcell, Pergolesi, I.H.Bach, Mozart, Maltsat, Süsmeyer, Hyacinth Jaden, Schubert, von Weber, Wölfl, Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Chopin, Nicholas, Bellini, Vorzhishek, Lorzing, Bizet, Chausson, Alexis de Castillon, Vasily Kalinnikov, Stanchinsky, Scriabin, Kaple ... Even a little over 50 years old - is that enough for such artists as Beethoven, Delibes, Tchaikovsky or Mahler ?! And this is only a small part of the untimely departed ...

[@mrtchaikovsky]

On the flip side you have people like Sibelius who almost lived to 92, but barely wrote anything in the last 30 years of his life or Rossini, who retired at 38 and wrote little of substance in the remaining 40 years of his life.

[@Leonid1969-e8d]

Yes. In general, there are very different examples in life. But, you must agree that in this case it does not prove anything.

[@mrtchaikovsky]

@@Leonid1969-e8d My point was rather that there is no way of knowing for certain what these people would have done had they not died so young. People are prone to extrapolating, assuming that a talented youngster would have continued to surpass himself, whereas it is just as likely that he would stagnate, having peaked early, like Glazunov, or turn to something else entirely and squander his talents the way Rimbaud did.

[@Leonid1969-e8d]

Ну,конечно,в принципе всё что угодно могло быть и жизнь могла сложиться как угодно. Кто-то спивается,например. Well, of course, in principle anything could have happened and life could have turned out any way. Someone drinks themselves to death, for example.

[@jackcurley1591]

Thanks for sharing this composer. Hadn’t heard of him before, but clearly an impressive figure in the 19th century. As with many others, I wish that he lived longer

[@naphtanaptha]

I love this sonata so much. every single movement is perfect. the first one and particularly its theme to me has a kind of sickly weakness to it, that gives a great deal of ambivalence and depth to the delicacy of this piece. maybe that's just overthinking, knowing schunckes cause of death, but to me, this composition really communicates the sort of despair and melancholy in a heart wrenchingly beautiful way. thank you so much for sharing this. I truly have found many a composer I now love and cherish through this channel (fliarkovsky!!)

[@carlose.johansson739]

Very beautiful a wonderful surprise with this "unknown " composer .

[@elcucumber2847]

the melancholy of the first theme is simply amazing omg

[@AlejandroSanAntonio]

My dear, thanks a lot for sharing this composer and his work. Is just very very good music. A very big shame he passed away very soon.

[@p-y8210]

Damn 23 years old

[@d.o.7784]

That is a product of a brilliant mind! So sad that he had to leave so early.

[@letsschubertiad1966]

thank you so much :)

[@virginijagasiuniene4995]

Very, very good music, thank you !!!

[@MrMDH1986]

Interesting piece and great playing!

[@sbareg]

"totally not obscure"... Ah, I see what you did with the description of your "Schumann's Chopin variations" video😉😂😂 Great upload by the way, a true hidden gem 💙 thank you

[@ronl7131]

Interesting period piece…..

[@hrobro2376]

I like last part

[@selectyourname]

I don't know why, but this section reminds me of Brahms Piano Quartet No. 3 2nd movement. 07:12

[@Glamourleichensack]

Schade, dass sein Klavierkonzert verschollen ist :(

[@francescacompagnone2903]

Una grande tristezza cerca disperatamente consolazione Alla fine trova la speranza?

[@JanCarlComposer]

"totally not obscure" :))

[@tarikeld11]

Why is the Finale played like prestissimo? It's an Allegro!

[@AEPMUSlC]

♩=110-120 isn't that uncommon for allegro.

[@tarikeld11]

@@AEPMUSlC Tempo isn't just about BPM, it's about feeling

[@AEPMUSlC]

@@tarikeld11 And what would "allegro" mean in terms of feeling?

[@tarikeld11]

@@AEPMUSlC kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZDEnoFon7Kgqq8 look at 5:39. The pianist played the finale like prestissimo.

[@AEPMUSlC]

@@tarikeld11 I guess the performer chose "K" out of those categories for the last movement then lol. I agree it's a bit on the fast side, I wouldn't mind it being a bit slower, but I kinda understand why she chose this tempo too. The allegros in the first and second movements very different from the finale so it seems the pianist too is aware of the ambiguity of "allegro" as a tempo/mood.