Schumann honored in the reissue of a beautiful double album by pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja

Schumann honored in the reissue of a beautiful double album by pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja

The 80th birthday of the Austro-Russian pianist is celebrated with the reissue of “Variations & Sonatas,” dedicated to her favorite musician.

Elisabeth Leonskaja, a living legend of the piano, born in 1945 in Tbilissi, Georgia, still displays all her vitality and inspiration even at the age of 80. In early 2026, during a chamber music concert in Toulouse, we confirmed that she has not lost any of her energy or creativity, as proven in this program dedicated to Robert Schumann (1810-1856), recorded between 2018 and 2019. Warner Classics celebrates the eight decades of the Austro-Russian pianist, who has been living in Vienna since 1978, by shining a light on the intelligence of the program and the beauty of the interpretation, full of mastery, flexibility, a rejection of flamboyance, and passionate involvement.

Schumann is one of Elisabeth Leonskaja’s favorite composers, and she knows his works inside out. The reissue features a diverse range of compositions, from the gentle “Variations on the Name of Abegg, Op. 1” to the delicate range of characters and moods portrayed in the “Papillons, Op. 2.” The anthology moves on to the heart of the program with the richly contrasted writing and orchestral colors of the “Etudes in Variations,” known as the “Etudes symphoniques, Op. 13.” The second CD includes the first two sonatas, equally rich but more structured, providing a welcome complement to these unrestrained explorations.

Schumann’s “Geistervariationen” (Ghost Variations) closes the album, showcasing a surprisingly contemplative Schumann on the verge of madness. The recording presents these pieces as a prologue to Opus 13, exploring their meditative nature to draw listeners into the composer’s unstable psyche. The entire album captivates listeners with its lyrical fervor and emotional depth.

The article was authored by Sophie Bourdais and published on April 7, 2026, at 12:27 PM.

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