Continuing MDG’s exploration of Clara Schumann’s works, Josef De Beenhouwer offers a special gift on the occasion of the two hundredth anniversary of her birth: a CD including numerous recording premieres from this

famous pianist’s extensive transcription oeuvre. He not only honours her compositional talent but also spotlights works with which she very deliberately and intensively occupied herself - and in the process

very attractively nuances our picture of the musical Schumann family. The focus is formed by selected songs by Robert Schumann. Thirty transcriptions in all were published during Clara’s lifetime, and eleven others were discovered and edited only a few years ago. De Beenhouwer’s choices drawing on both sources impressively demonstrate how skillfully Clara integrated the voice part into Robert’s piano parts, which often are quite complicated. Two genuine finds round off this intelligently designed program: an andante from the Three Diversions by William Sterndale Bennett, a composer completely unknown in Germany, and the album page on “Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott” by Clara Wieck composed when she was just nineteen years old make us eager for more - above all, when these works are so lovingly presented as they are here by Josef De Beenhouwer on this Super Audio CD meticulously recorded in a natural room atmosphere.

Robert Schumann: Drei Lieder

Four Studies For The Pedal Pianoforte Op. 56

Vier Lieder

Ouvert re Zur Oper “Genoveva” Op. 81*

Three Sketches For The Pedal Pianoforte Op. 58

Vier Lieder

William Sterndale Bennett

Johannes Brahms: Menuetto I/II G-Dur

Scherzo: Vivace C-Dur

Clara Wieck: Albumblatt