Description
Named after Scheherazade, the storyteller of the Arabian Nights, No. 32 of Schumann's 1848 Album for the Young, Op. 68, belongs to the second part, For Older Children, and has the character of a tale being told.
In A minor and 4/4, it has narrative-like inflections in its melody and touches of exotic harmonic colour. At roughly three and a half minutes it is one of the larger pieces in Op. 68, yet it holds only about 784 notes, relying on the timing of storytelling rather than speed. Its range covers three octaves from A2 to A5, within a 61-key keyboard.
An intermediate piece, it calls for careful shaping of its shifting, scene-like moods. The interest lies in whether each return of the melody can take on a new expression, the way a storyteller changes voice. Since it runs fairly long, practise it scene by scene with the A-B loop, check at a slower playback speed where the harmonic colour changes, and then join the whole into a single story.
A collection of 43 piano pieces Schumann gave to his daughter Marie for her seventh birthday — musically rich works enjoyable for children and adults alike.
Browse all songs in Album for the Young Op.68 →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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