Schumann's Album for the Young

[comme_le_vent]

I LOVE THESE PIECES!
does anybody else here agree with me that these are some of the greatest minatures ever composed?
I like every single one, and quite a few of them have melodies that rank among the most beautiful ever written. The music is technically quite easy, but one of the most fun things about these pieces is the sheer amount of interprative experimentation you can have with them. For most pianists these pieces would be amazingly beneficial in bringing out their musicality and imagination, the techniques are rather easy so you can just completely focus on everything musical about your playing.
I just LOVE these pieces!

what are everyones opinions on these pieces and their beneficiality to pianists?

and also what are your own personal favourites?  

i was going to list mine but there are so damn many!  

[minsmusic]

Ditto.  They are great pieces and an invaluable teacher resource for exactl what you said.  "Okay, you know the notes, now let's FEEL the music, and make whoever listens to you feel it too!"

I have to admit though, I prefer his "Scenes from Childhood" OP.15.

I very much like 'From Foreign Lands and People'.  But I LOVE Traumerei 'Dreaming' - lovely to play, lovely to listen to.  

[comme_le_vent]

yeah, i knew that work was going to be mentioned, whilst i do love that work, i actually prefer the album for the young, the music just seems to speak to me on a more intimate level - plus its easier to play on the most part  

my favourites are the sad melancholy ones. its actually quite strange that there are sad pieces in it because it was supposedly written for children - who would mostly want to play happy tunes. But its all the better for us adults who love depth of emotion in our music.  

[bernhard]

As you said, they are all wonderful.

Although Schumann composed it for his children (perhaps this explains why there are almost no recordings of them), and divided it into two parts (1 –18 – for the little ones; and 19-43 for the more grown-up ones) I don’t think of them as children’s pieces at all – One can see all of Schumann’s music in them.

It is also possible to treat the 43 pieces as a cycle – exactly like most of Schumannn’s piano works. Here is what Michael Endres (who recorded the whole set for Arte Nova) has to say about them:

“The cycle is a totally shattering profile of spiritual development, beginning with the innocently naïve and childish nos. 1 – 5, where no shadows are yet to be found. With no. 6 comes the first small cloud (The poor orphan)[…] with nos 12 and 13 the cycle leaves behind […] the child’s world. […] in the second section, the tone changes, with a contrast between the friendly A major of nos. 20, 22, 24, and 28 and the intervening pieces like the sad no. 19, the magnificently inspired nos. 21 and 26 the sinister no. 23 the excited no. 25. […] [the last] ten numbers are wonderful examples of the uniquely introverted worlds of late Schumann."

This is most excellent piano music.

My favourites:

no. 13 (May, beautiful May)
No. 14 (Little Study)
No. 28 (Remembrance)
No. 30 (***)
N. 32 (Scheherazade)
No. 35 (Mignon)

In fact I don’t think these pieces would be out of place as a very last encore  - especially if the programme was particularly hair raising. The contrast would have great dramatic value (Horowitz actually used to do that, he often played Traumerei as an encore).

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[PeterHK]

My favourite pieces from Op.68 follow:

4. Choral
10. Happy Farmer
12. Knight Rupert
39. Winter Time II

But then most piano music by Schumann is not naturally fit for the hands, even many pieces from this album.

[squinchy]

Oh the Horror!!

My first teacher forced me to play these against my will. It was a time when I had a hard time playing dotted eighth notes and playing anything softly. I suppose I should thank her, since her spending about an average of two months on each piece made me finally learn to play dotted eighths and play somewhat un-loud-and-clunkily, among other things. When I was with her, she picked out every single piece that I played, and then told me how to interpret them. It wasn't much fun [at all], since she'd always pick the more boring ones. She was also a perfectionist who insisted that every detail be perfect. She also happened to REALLY like the Album for the Young.

When I learned these pieces with my current teacher, she let me pick out the ones I played. Unfortunately, she didn't care much for the Album for the Young. Also, the ones that I liked were ones that were painful for her to play [she has arthritis and rather small hands].

The only pieces that I can honestly say that I like to hear and play are below:

10. Frohlicher Landmann, von der Arbeit Zuruckkhrend, aka The Happy Farmer
25. Nachklange aus dem Theater, aka Echoes from the theater
35. Mignon [I finally learned to play softly and delicately!]
40. Nordisches Lied, aka Northern Song

[Legato]

Did Robert Schumann compose “Scene’s from Childhood” after he attempted suicide, while he was in the asylum?  I thought I read that some scholars believe that this is one of Clara’s works or at least her influence is very apparent.

Rob

[stormx]

Hi !

I have recently bought a Rico GULDA (son of Friedrich GULDA) recording for Naxos of the 43 pieces. They are wonderful little pieces, beautifuly played.

Right now, i am learning "The Soldier's March" (nº2). Not my favourite, but one of the easiest. Just the first ones are indeed for a real beginner like me 

I like them all, but my current favourites are:

1-MELODY
8-THE WILD HORSEMAN
11-SICILIENNE
12-KNIGHT RUPERT
23-HARVEST SONG
25-ECHOES FROM THE THEATER
43-NEW YEARS'S EVE