Fairy Tales

"Fairy Tales" for Clarinet in Bb (ad libitum violin), Viola and Pianoforte op. 132 are among the few works by Schumann that were composed, revised and published in a short time: written in Düsseldorf at the beginning of October 1853, the new composition was offered for publication to Breitkopf & Härtel on November 3 and printed in February 1854.

However, the composition and printing of the fairy tales are accompanied by a difficult time; these are the last days before the composer is admitted to the mental hospital in Endenich. Accordingly, the reception of the work was in the shadow of this last creative period: The pieces were linked with the associated darker stations of life and played very little.

The fairy tales tell the story of Schumann's only work for this unusual piano trio with viola and clarinet. The only well-known earlier example of this instrumentation at this time is Mozart's Kegelstatt Trio KV 498.