Variationen über ein Thema von Robert Schumann, Op. 20

Instrumentation

Musical Terms (3)

• Bunte Blätter theme German
  The F-sharp minor theme from Robert Schumann's Bunte Blätter Op. 99 No. 4 (1841), which Clara Schumann used as the basis for her Op. 20 variations, composed as a birthday gift for Robert in 1853.
  In the theme statement, match the gentle, questioning character of the original Robert Schumann piece. The F-sharp minor tonality gives it a wistful, introspective quality.
• 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.