Jorg Demus died a few weeks ago at the age of ninety. MDG commemorates this great pianist with a new release of the Fantasiest cke op. 12 and Humoreske op. 20 by Robert Schumann, to whose music Demus felt drawn throughout his life. Performed on a Viennese pianoforte by Conrad Graf and recorded with the finest digital technology even more than thirty years ago, this program documents his tireless advocacy of historical keyboard instruments. Conrad Graf himself had given Clara and Robert Schumann a comparable instrument as a wedding present. Its special appeal comes from the “moderator,” a lever creating an elfin pianissimo, and the “harp stop,” which, as on the harpsichord, generates a pizzicato effect. Along with the “pearly” articulation typical of the pianoforte, these effects are a perfect match for Schumann’s romantic pieces.
