In this playlist, musicians imagine what it might be like to take a step on that bright glowing ball in the sky. A. Dagli Orti/De Agostini via Getty Images hide caption

Robert Schumann
Jeremy Denk's c.1300-c.2000 comes out Feb. 8 on Nonesuch. Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Daniil Trifonov performs a Tiny Desk concert on Nov. 13, 2017 at NPR Headquarters in Washington, D.C. (Jenna Sterner/NPR) Jenna Sterner/NPR/NPR hide caption
Tiny Desk Concert with Joshua Bell and Jeremy Denk. Bob Boilen/NPR hide caption
Robert Schumann wrote his Violin Concerto in 1853. Josef Kriehuber/Wikimedia Commons hide caption
Pianist Jonathan Biss and members of the Elias String Quartet brought their Schumann: Under the Influence program to Carnegie Hall. Melanie Burford/for NPR hide caption
Carnegie Hall Live: Jonathan Biss And The Elias String Quartet
Robert Schumann may have been the first to infuse a yearning for music of the past in his own compositions. Joseph Kriehuber/Wikimedia Commons hide caption
Hear Jonathan Biss Play Schumann In The Studio
Communication was not a strong suit for Robert and Clara Schumann. But music surely was. Lebrecht Music/Corbis hide caption
Jonathan Biss Plays Schumann
Composer Robert Schumann has his share of critics. Pianist Jonathan Biss is out to prove them wrong. Michael Nicholson/Corbis hide caption
Jonathan Biss Plays Schumann
Many aspects of composer Robert Schumann's life and music have remained largely misunderstood. Hulton Archive/Getty Images hide caption
Schumann: Tocatta, Op. 7 (Sviatoslav Richter)
Glenn Gould would have turned 80 years old on Sept. 25. His legacy includes much more than the music of J.S. Bach. Don Hunstein/Sony Classical hide caption
Up close and very personal: young listeners get a taste of classical music at New York's Baby Got Bach. Ali Winberry/courtesy of Baby Got Bach hide caption
Piano Quintet in E-Flat: III. Scherzo (Martha Argerich)
Piano Trio In D Minor: IV. Mit Feuer (Alfred Cortot, piano; Jacques Thibaud, violin; Pablo Casals, cello; rec. 1928)
Some Schumann fans are wondering why the composer didn't get as big a celebration as Chopin this year. iStock hide caption
David Bowie as Thin White Duke, one of his many characters. Michael Putland/Hulton Archive/Getty Images hide caption
Robert Schumann's Kinderszenen depicts the world through the eyes of a child. Getty hide caption
Hear Murray Perahia Play Schumann
Robert Schumann's music evokes the image of a child's dreams. iStock hide caption