Grade 5

Schumann - Von fremden Ländern und Menschen (No. 1 from Kinderscenen, Op. 15)

Kinderszenen (Scenes of Childhood) is a set of 13 pieces written in 1838 in which Schumann looks back on childhood memories from the perspective of an adult. The opening piece, Von fremden Ländern und Menschen (Of Foreign Lands and People) features a diminished chord on the second beat of the first bar. The player needs to colour the sound here to create a sense of wonder or mystery. The texture of the piece is typical of the Romantic style - a top melody supported by broken chords and a bass line (a counter melody appears in the bass in the second half). The challenge faced by the pianist is to play the accompaniment softly and evenly as the triplets pass from one hand back to the other.

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