Robert Schumann (1810-1856) had a special fondness for the cello. He studied the cello as a child, and picked the instrument up again as a young adult after an accident injured his hand and he was unable to perform as a concert pianist. Although Schumann held the cello dear, he only composed two works that still remain: Op. 129 Cello Concerto, and the Five Pieces in Folk Style which is performed on this album. Although many of the compositions on this recording were not originally scored for cello, cellists, in their eagerness to perform Schumann's music, have made lovely arrangements and transcriptions.
