Preface
I have always loved this obscure masterpiece. My discovery of it dates back to my schooldays: it was a spin-off from my early enthusiasm for Faust itself, which we were superbly taught by Roy Giles at Eton. I used to spend time in the school’s copious record library, which I found to contain a copy of Benjamin Britten’s recent Aldeburgh recording of Schumann’s work. That was more than fifty years ago, but I still hear it through fresh ears. Live performances are still a rarity; catch one if ever you can.