The Three Romances for Oboe and Piano, Op. 94 (German: Drei Romanzen), is a musical piece written by Robert Schumann. It is his only work composed for the oboe. Schumann created this piece in December 1849. The work includes three short musical sections arranged in an A-B-A structure. It was written during a time that some people believe was one of Schumann's manic episodes.

These romances are commonly performed by oboists and are often regarded as some of the best works written for the oboe. A full performance of all three pieces typically lasts about 12 minutes.

Background

The Romances were written in December 1849, one of the most productive years of Schumann's entire career. Before this, Schumann had written two other works for wind instruments and piano: the Adagio and Allegro, op. 70, for French Horn and piano, and the Fantasy Pieces for Clarinet and Piano, op. 73. Schumann himself said the pieces were written on December 7, 11, and 12 in Dresden. Unlike many other oboe works from that time, these were not written because a famous soloist asked for them. Schumann gave the pieces to his wife, Clara Schumann, whom he once described as his own "right hand," as a Christmas present. He called them his "hundredth opusculum." During the time the pieces were written, Schumann's mental health was getting worse. Soon after, he moved from Dresden to Düsseldorf, where he was admitted to an asylum and eventually died there.

Structure and analysis

The three romances are labeled in German:

The three romances are simple, relatively easy to play, and not demanding in terms of skill. However, they also require strong breath control. All three pieces follow a structure called "song form," or A-B-A. The melodies in these works are similar to one another.

The first romance begins with a short piano phrase, followed by the main theme played by the oboe. The piano provides a layered accompaniment. After a faster section, the piece ends softly, returning to the main theme. This romance has been described as "tranquil." The second romance, written in A Major, is mainly a duet between the oboe and piano. It includes a tense B section that changes tempo twice. It starts with a soft, simple oboe melody and matching piano music. The first tempo change introduces a more aggressive and rough theme. The second tempo change brings back the main theme, which continues until the end of the romance. This piece has been described as "the most rugged and colorful-sounding" and is similar to the style of Brahms. The final romance is the liveliest of the set. It has many changes in mood, with the A section being energetic and the B section more subdued.

Publication and performance history

On November 2, 1850, the piece was first played privately by Clara Schumann on piano and François Schubert on violin. The works were first publicly performed several years after Schumann's death, in 1863. These performances took place on January 24 and February 14 at the Gewandhaus, with Emilius Lund on oboe and Carl Reinecke on piano.

The piece was dedicated to Wilhelm Joseph von Wasielewski. The original edition was published by N. Simrock. The publication date is unknown, but it is estimated to have been between December 1850 and February 1851. Nikolaus Simrock wrote a letter to Schumann on November 19, 1850, asking if Schumann would agree to print the title page with different instrument combinations, such as "for oboe and pianoforte" or "for violin and pianoforte." Schumann refused, explaining that the piece was originally written for piano and violin, and changing the instruments would make it a different work.

Two copies of the original printing still exist: one owned by Schumann and another given to Wasielewski (both are in museums or private collections). Despite Schumann's request, Simrock published alternate violin and oboe parts in the first edition. After Schumann's death, Clara Schumann included only the violin version in her collection of his works, possibly because she played the piece with violinists. There have been many recordings of the music, including a recent one featuring other Schumann oboe works by Oboe Classics.