Description
A matter of great moment to a child, smiled at by the adult remembering it: in "An Important Event," the sixth piece of Kinderszenen, Op. 15, the vantage point of the whole set is at its clearest. The solemn march of chords is entirely in earnest and, at the same time, just slightly overdone.
Thick chords advance with great dignity in dotted rhythm and triple time. There is no melody as such; the succession of chords is itself the gesture. It lasts under forty seconds, but the weight of the writing makes it one of the louder pieces in the collection.
Sounding chords heavily without hardening them is the technique its intermediate rating asks for. Struck from the fingers they break up, and the effect is not grand but rough. Drop arm weight into them and bring only the top voice marginally forward. Keeping the dotted rhythm exact is the other condition of that dignified tread.
A suite of 13 pieces Schumann composed in 1838, including "Träumerei," evoking an adult's poetic recollection of childhood.
Browse all songs in Kinderszenen Op.15 →Sheet Music
Sheet music provided by Mutopia Project
About the Composer
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Robert Schumann was a leading German Romantic composer born in Zwickau. His poetic style reflects his deep literary sensibility, and his wife Clara Schumann was herself a renowned pianist and composer. His pedagogical piano collection Album for the Young remains beloved for its simple yet evocative miniatures for children and families. This site includes pieces from that collection and from Kinderszenen, Op. 15.
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