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Play — Jörg Demus plays Schumann 4 fugues, Op.72 · newFFL7 (the player loads on click)
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Play — Four Fugues, Op. 72: No. 1 in D Minor · Robert Schumann, Peter Frankl (the player loads on click)
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Public-domain sheet music on IMSLP ↗
Estimated from our difficulty score, not taken from an exam syllabus. Checked against 333 works on the ABRSM syllabus: the exact grade is right 7 times out of 10, and within one grade 99 times out of 100.
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This fugue creates a tense, introspective mood where contrapuntal lines intertwine with dramatic accents rather than cold clarity, requiring expressive articulation and phrasing that brings out each voice. Technically, pay attention to Tempo rubato (3.1/5): here it is a measured rubato that subtly adjusts phrase lengths to enhance the discourse without disturbing the underlying pulse, and to the Pédale de sustain (3.1/5) which needs precise, often short pedal changes to keep the voices transparent while maintaining a Romantic resonance. The piece belongs to the Romantic period and shows how Schumann reworks the fugue within his piano output, combining contrapuntal tradition with a Romantic expressive language.