German born pianist Burkard Schliessmann has concertized around the world with a base in Frankfurt. He teaches at Curtis and in New York. He spoke with Jim Cunningham by Zoom from Germany about the solo piano works of Robert Schumann, Fantasies for the Divine Art label. The deluxe pressing is being issued as a triple gold audiophile LP. Burkard discussed his interpretation of Schumann's Kreisleriana and other masterpieces written in some cases near the end of his life when he was said to be losing his sanity. Herr Schliessmann feels this has been exaggerated. He also discusses Johann Wolfgang von Goethe whose name came with one of the many awards Schliessmann has been given. Is gold vinyl an addition to the sound quality or a fad? Etwas ganz Besonderes! Naturlich. He says he was fortunate to record on a great Steinway and loves working at the Berlin Teldex Studio where so many great keyboard legends from Barenboim to Arcadi Volodos have recorded.