The Album for the Young is a collection of pieces that Robert Schumann published in 1848 under the title Christmas Album. The origin of the work is closely linked to the composer’s family life and the deep love he felt for his children.

In writing these pieces Schumann has therefore tried to enter the imagination of a child, and see the world through the eyes and innocence of childhood. This results in an approach that is very tender but at the same time also dispassionate. The compositions make use of a remarkable variety of musical structures and styles

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Recorded in Verona, Sala Maffeiana, March 8-10, 2010