Schumann’s “Arabeske” and “Blumenstück” were both composed while he was living in Vienna from October 1838 to April 1839, and are thus companions to such major piano pieces as the “Fantasy in C major” (op. 17), the “Humoresque” (op. 20) and the cycles “Nachtstücke” (op. 23) and “Faschingsschwank aus Wien” (op. 26). Unlike these masterpieces, they are more ingratiating, possibly as a concession to the Viennese public; but whether the “Arabeske” is a “delicate piece for the ladies”, as Schumann once maintained, is open to debate.

For our new edition of these popular pieces the editor has re-evaluated the surviving sources, devoting special attention to the placement of slurs and incorporating the latest findings in Schumann scholarship. Rounding off the volume are a clear and uncluttered engraving, practical page turns and informative notes on historical performance practice by Sezi Seskir, a fortepiano specialist from Bucknell University (Lewisburg, PA) with a special interest in Schumann’s pianism as well as 18th- and 19th-century performance practice.