•Recorded live at the Konzerthaus, Vienna, this recording showcases Aimard’s singular talent and virtuosic enthusiasm for such complex work.

•Two very contrasting pieces, both completed early in 1835, Carnaval and the Etudes symphoniques result from Schumann’s initial engagement to, and eventual rejection of, the young Ernestine von Fricken, and from his relationship with the writer Jean Paul.

•Both Carnaval and the Etudes symphoniques highlight the importance Schumann placed on the musical representation of literary moods and themes, and certainly both are seen as being consistently challenging from a technical viewpoint.

•Based around the Allegretto second movement of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, Schumann continually revised the Etudes until his death, seemingly never to his own satisfaction however. Five of these rejected variations were restored by Clara Schumann after the composers’ death, and all five are presented here by Aimard, along with the acknowledged twelve definitive Etudes, and the composers own revised finale.