Davidsbundlertanze, Op. 6 No. 9 in B minor

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Editions (2)

• Original Lvl 6 1m 30s
• Original Lvl 7 2 min

Musical Terms (12)

• Davidsbund German
  The League of David — Schumann's imaginary fraternity of musical progressives battling against the Philistines of mediocrity. The Davidsbündlertänze are dances 'by' this league.
  The alternating Florestan and Eusebius attributions in the Davidsbündlertänze should guide character sharply from piece to piece. A Florestanian dance and a Eusebian one back-to-back should feel like two different personalities speaking.
• einfach German
  Simple — plain and unaffected in character, without ornamentation or exaggeration.
  In Schumann, einfach is not merely simple: it is a hard-won simplicity that contains depth. A simple marking often indicates one of the most touching passages; resist the urge to 'interpret' it heavily.
• Eusebius German
  One of Schumann's two fictional alter egos — the introspective, poetic, dreaming side of his musical personality.
  Pieces marked or associated with Eusebius (as in Carnaval Op. 9) are lyrical, inward, and slow. When Schumann titles a piece Eusebius, expect soft dynamics, singing melody, and an almost suspended sense of time.
• Florestan German
  Schumann's other fictional alter ego — the impulsive, extroverted, passionate side of his personality.
  Florestan pieces are fast, energetic, and rhythmically driven — the opposite of Eusebius. The contrast between the two personas is the central dramatic tension in much of Schumann's piano writing.
• Florestan und Eusebius German
  Schumann's two literary alter egos: Florestan the passionate, extrovert, and impulsive; Eusebius the introspective, dreamy, and tender. Many of his pieces are signed with one name or the other.
  Identify whether a given piece is Florestanian (driven, accented, outward) or Eusebian (inward, soft, lyrical) and let that character govern your interpretive choices throughout. Avoid mixing the two within a single piece unless the music itself demands it.
• innig German
  Inward, heartfelt — a quality of deep, undemonstrative feeling; intimate rather than public.
  Schumann's most characteristic marking. Innig playing is not shy or timid but entirely concentrated inward. The music exists in a private emotional world; the performer does not project outward but draws the listener in.
• Innigkeit German
  Inwardness, deep sincerity of feeling. A cornerstone of Schumann's lyrical style, calling for playing that feels intensely personal rather than publicly projected.
  Innigkeit requires a slightly withdrawn tone — warm but not brilliant, intimate rather than declamatory. Play as though thinking aloud rather than performing. Avoid over-pedalling, which can blur the inner voices that carry much of the expressive weight.
• lebhaft German
  Lively, animated. One of Schumann's characteristic German tempo markings, preferred over Italian terms in his mature works.
  Lebhaft implies physical energy as well as speed — a dancing, springy quality rather than mere velocity. Allow the rhythm to propel forward naturally; avoid mechanical evenness in fast passages.
• mit Humor German
  With humour. In Schumann this often implies whimsical, capricious, even self-mocking wit rather than simple playfulness.
  Schumann's humour is literary and ironic — sudden dynamic shifts, unexpected harmonic turns, and rhythmic displacement are the tools. Play with a slight detachment, as if in on the joke.
• mit Humor German
  With humour — a characteristic Schumann instruction indicating wit, whimsy, and gentle irony.
  Schumann's humour is never coarse; it is the humour of a literary man — wry, self-aware, sometimes melancholy behind the lightness. Rhythmic surprise and sudden dynamic contrasts are part of its expression.
• Traumerei German
  Dreaming, reverie. The title of the most famous piece from Kinderszenen and a quality that permeates much of Schumann's slow writing.
  A dreamy quality in Schumann means a slightly veiled sound and unhurried tempo. Allow the harmony to linger — don't rush resolution. The melody should float above the accompaniment as if half-remembered.
• verschleiert German
  Veiled. A Schumann direction for a deliberately muted, half-hidden sound quality.
  Produce a veiled tone by combining the soft pedal with a lighter arm weight and slightly slower key descent. The effect should suggest sound heard through a curtain — present but indistinct.