Souvenir de Vienne, Op. 9

Instrumentation

Musical Terms (4)

• Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser German
  The Austrian imperial hymn melody by Haydn, used as the theme for Clara Schumann's Souvenir de Vienne, Op. 9. The same tune later became the German national anthem.
  Keep the hymn theme dignified and singing even through the variations. The melody should always be audible above the ornamental figuration.
• quasi fantasia Italian
  In the manner of a fantasy. Indicates free, improvisatory treatment of form, tempo, and character, without strict adherence to a fixed structure.
  Allow more rhythmic freedom than usual; the music should feel spontaneously invented rather than rigidly measured.
• einfach German
  Simply, plainly. A marking calling for directness and absence of exaggeration, characteristic of the restrained lyricism in Clara Schumann's later piano style.
  Resist the urge to over-shape or sentimentalize. Let the melody speak with natural, unaffected phrasing — simplicity is the expressive goal.
• sehr ausdrucksvoll German
  Very expressively. A performance direction frequently found in Clara Schumann's mature piano works, calling for heightened emotional engagement and vocal phrasing.
  Think of the phrase as a sung line. Shape each melodic arch with dynamic shading, and resist any mechanical evenness in the passage.