Schumann composed the three Fantasiestücke, Op. 73 swiftly over just a few days in 1849. Originally for clarinet and piano, he made an arrangement for cello and piano, the version more often heard in performance. Although the title suggests a collection of individual pieces, the three parts seem to form a unified whole as Schumann characteristically joins them in subtle ways using tonality and motive. Still, contrast is primary both between the pieces and, within each piece, itself a little three-part form enclosing a nested duality. The first piece marked “tenderly, with expression” is lyrical and melancholy but its primary minor key eventually brightens into a major tonality. The second piece maintains the new key with a more upbeat playfulness, a sort of nimble intermezzo with Schumann’s title “lively and light”. A trajectory from inward reflection to outward projection culminates in the third piece that is “quick with fire” with impetuous outbursts contrasting with lyrical poise. These vivid instrumental songs evoke Mendelsohn’s famous phrase that music is more specific than words.