Träumerei, Kinderszenen Op. 15 No. 7

History

Schumann's diary records Träumerei on 24 February 1838. Its later performance history is less settled: historical sources attach different metronome figures to this familiar miniature. A critical-editor interview compares a later first-edition figure of 100 quarter notes a minute with 80 in Clara Schumann's instructive edition and 132 in Böhme's annotated source. They are different historical witnesses, not one agreed practice speed.

Sources

• henle.de/0924-1690886073-sync.pdf
• henle.de/146.pdf

What to listen for

1. 1

   Let the opening sing

   The C pickup rises to a long F. Let that held melody remain audible while the supporting voices enter, then connect E-F-A toward the next bar.

2. 2

   An arrival with room to breathe

   The line rises through C to F, holds, then descends through E and D. Keep the long note alive without interrupting the flowing lower voices.

3. 3

   Listen inside the texture

   Short melodic pairs pass through the phrase while inner notes continue beneath them. Bring out the upper line without losing the lower voices' connections.

4. 4

   The opening reaches higher

   The long F returns, but the next rise reaches a higher A. Let this new height feel like a continuation of the opening rather than a separate gesture.

How to practise it

Make the short opening sound like one connected melody, with independent supporting voices.

1. Hear the pickup as the beginning of the melodic sentence.
2. Keep supporting entries quieter than the singing line.
3. Preserve long inner notes while the upper voice continues to move.

How hard is it

About this piece

Collection

Small scenes, big imagination

Licence

Public Domain

Source

mutopiaproject.org

More by Robert Schumann

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