Vladimir Ashkenazy plays Schumann's Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 and Papillons, Op. 2

That Robert Schumann led a difficult and troubled life is well documented, and much of his work—full of tension, idiosyncrasy, and a remarkable, nearly unparalleled capacity for invention—is notoriously difficult to pin down. Vladimir Ashkenazy, in this season-ending concert from the Royal Festival Hall in 1985, easily untangles all the technical difficulties and navigates the rocky expressive terrain with the flair of a consummate artist—he has studied this music and lived with it, and his attention to detail shines in this exquisitely wrought rendition of two Schumannian masterpieces.