Carnaval op. 9

Carnaval, completed in 1835, is one of Schumann's most popular works for piano. The 'Carnaval' is a masked ball, at which the characters from the commedia dell'arte - Harlequin and Columbine - dance alongside Schumann's friends -Chiarina and Estrella - and more famous names such as Chopin and Paganini. Like so many of Schumann's works its inspiration has a literary source, in this case his favourite writer Jean Paul.