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Romantic · character piece

Bittendes Kind, Kinderszenen Op. 15 No. 4

Robert Schumann · Level 4, estimated · With Maestro

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The short answer

Schumann added its tempo in his own hand. Bittendes Kind, Kinderszenen Op. 15 No. 4 is a character piece by Robert Schumann from the Romantic era. PlayPiano puts it at Level 4, an estimate.

On this page
  • character piece
  • Romantic
  • gentle

Also known as Kinderscenen - Bittendes Kind.

History

An early 1839 Kinderszenen print presented to Liszt preserves Schumann's handwritten Langsam addition for Bittendes Kind. The museum identifies it as a pre-publication print without the later metronome figures.

Sources

What to listen for

  1. Two short upper statements

    A short upper gesture is written twice above moving inner notes and sparse bass support. Hear the melody remain clear through the cross-staff inner motion.

  2. The answer changes its melodic shape

    A changed two-bar response is also written twice above sustained lower support. Compare the contour with the opening pair.

  3. A rising response asks for slowing

    The ascending responses are each marked ritardando. Hear their upward direction within the slowing gesture, without treating a playback setting as an extra composer instruction.

  4. The opening returns to a held chord

    The opening comes back at a tempo, then returns again with slowing and a sustained final chord followed by a rest. Hear the held arrival and its release.

How to practise it

Let the upper request-like contour sing above spaced lower notes.

  1. Practise the first upper phrase into the paired quarter without speeding up.
  2. Play the lower attacks with their rests before adding the upper line.

How hard is it

Level 4, estimated

Short expressive phrases need singing tone, gentle balance and carefully controlled phrase endings.

About this piece

Interpretive sketch of Robert Schumann, an illustration and not a verified likeness
An illustration, not a portrait
Collection
Small scenes, big imagination
Licence
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Source
mutopiaproject.org
Credit
“Kinderscenen - Bittendes Kind” by R. Schumann (1810 to 1856). Mutopia edition maintained by Ying-Chun Liu. Source: https://www.mutopiaproject.org/cgibin/piece-info.cgi?id=366. Licensed under CC BY 3.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/. Changes to the supplied file: none; any later conversion or edit must be disclosed separately.

More by Robert Schumann

  1. Album for the Young, Op. 68 No. 1, MélodieLevel 2, estimatedOpen to everyone
  2. Träumerei, Kinderszenen Op. 15 No. 7Level 6, estimatedWith Maestro
  3. Toccata in C major, Op. 7Level 10, estimatedWith Maestro

With Maestro

Play it, slow it down, hear where you land

Let the upper request-like contour sing above spaced lower notes.

Practise it in PlayPiano