Kinderszenen

Shumann in 1839

Kinderszenen (original spelling Kinderscenen, (English: Scenes from Childhood), Opus 15, is a set of 13 pieces for solo piano by Robert Schumann. It was published in 1838. Schumann was looking back on his childhood when composing these pieces. He had originally written 30 movements for Scenes from Childhood. He chose only 13 for the final set. The unused movements were published years later in Bunte Blätter, Opus 99, and Albumblätter (English: Album Leaves, Opus 124).

Schumann originally titled the work Leichte Stücke (English: Easy Pieces). The titles for the individual pieces were only added after the music was complete. Schumann described the titles as "nothing more than delicate hints for execution and interpretation".[1] Timothy Taylor has discussed Schumann's choice of titles for this work in the context of the changing situation of music in 19th century culture and economics.[2] In 1974, Eric Sams noted that there is no known complete manuscript of Kinderszenen.[3]

Movements

Title Key Play Notes
01. Von fremden Ländern und Menschen
00. Of Foreign Lands and Peoples
G major  
02. Kuriose Geschichte
00. A Curious Story
[4]
D major  
03. Hasche-Mann
00. Blind Man's Bluff
B minor  
04. Bittendes Kind
00. Pleading Child
D major  
05. Glückes genug
00. Happy Enough
D major  
06. Wichtige Begebenheit
00. An Important Event
A major  
07. Träumerei
00. Dreaming
F major This is one of Schumann's best known pieces; it was the title of a 1944 German biographical movie on Robert Schumann.[5] Träumerei is also the opening and closing musical theme in the 1947 Hollywood movie Song of Love, starring Katharine Hepburn as Clara Schumann Wieck.[6]
08. Am Kamin
00. At the Fireside
F major  
09. Ritter vom Steckenpferd
00. Knight of the Hobbyhorse
C major  
10. Fast zu ernst
00. Almost Too Serious
G-sharp minor  
11. Fürchtenmachen
00. Frightening
E minor  
12. Kind im Einschlummern
00. Child Falling Asleep
E minor  
13. Der Dichter spricht
00. The Poet Speaks
G major  

References

  1. Thorpe, Day; Schumann, Robert; Von Irmer, Otto; Lampe, Walther (December 1990). "Music Reviews: Kinderszenen, Op. 15; Album für die Jugend, Op. 68 (Urtext)". Notes (2nd Ser.). 11 (4): 605–606. doi:10.2307/893060. JSTOR 837021.
  2. Taylor, Timothy D. (December 1990). "Aesthetic and Cultural Issues in Schumann's "Kinderszenen"". International Review of the Aesthetics and Sociology of Music. 21 (2): 161–178. doi:10.2307/837021. JSTOR 837021.
  3. Sams, Eric; Schumann; Goebels, Franzpeter (1974). "Schuman scenes". The Musical Times. 115 (1572): 146. doi:10.2307/955016. JSTOR 955016.
  4. original spelling: Curiose Geschichte
  5. Träumerei on IMDb
  6. Träumerei played by Katharine Hepburn in the movie Song of Love at YouTube

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