Robert Schumann - Johannes Brahms - Albert Dietrich
The F-A-E Sonata is a collaborative musical work by Robert Schumann, the young Brahms, and Schumann's pupil Albert Dietrich. It was composed in Düsseldorf in October 1853. It was Schumann's idea as a gift to Joseph Joachim, violinist friend of the three composers. Joachim's motto was "Frei aber einsam" ("free but lonely"), so all the movements were based on the notes F-A-E.
Dietrich wrote the 1st part in sonata form. Schumman followed with a romanze for the second. The scherzo was by Brahms, and Schumman provided the finale. The score was presented to joachim on 28 October at a soirée in the Schumann household, which Bettina von Arnim and her daughter Gisela also attended, and he was challenged to determine who had composed each movement. Joachim played the work that evening, with Clara Schumann at piano, identifying each movement's author with ease.
Schumann incorporated his two movements into his Violin Sonata no. 3; Brahms scherzo was published in 1906, ten years after its composer's death. It is not know if Dietrich made further use of his composition. The complete piece was first published as such in 1935. The piece has been arranged for cello and piano by Steven Isserlis, the Enligsh cellist and Schumann aficionado.
