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Romantic · character piece

Album for the Young, Op. 68 No. 2, Marche militaire

Robert Schumann · Level 3, estimated · With Maestro

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The short answer

A march with a Beethoven comparison. Album for the Young, Op. 68 No. 2, Marche militaire is a character piece by Robert Schumann from the Romantic era. PlayPiano puts it at Level 3, an estimate.

On this page
  • character piece
  • Romantic
  • grand

Also known as Album for the Young, Op. 68 No. 2: Marche militaire; Album pour la jeunesse - 2.Marche militaire.

History

The critical edition compares the melody of Schumann’s “Soldatenmarsch” with the scherzo of Beethoven’s “Spring” Violin Sonata, Op. 24. This is a source-supported comparison, not a claim of direct copying.

Sources

What to listen for

  1. Dotted figures and short responses

    Dotted gestures alternate with short chordal replies in the opening group. Hear their rhythmic character without making every sound equally long.

  2. A familiar group is written again

    The source writes out a related opening group before the repeat block. Compare its contour with the first group rather than treating it as an unrelated new idea.

  3. A lower dotted figure changes the balance

    The repeated second half begins with a lower-register dotted figure and answering chords. Listen to the change of register as the dialogue continues.

  4. A descending lower answer closes

    The last lower response descends toward the final chord. Follow that direction while giving the closing arrival room to settle.

How to practise it

Make the dotted approach crisp and leave real space after the chords.

  1. Speak the dotted rhythm, then play the first paired gesture.
  2. Practise the rests with both streams together at a comfortable speed.

How hard is it

Level 3, estimated

March pulse, accented gestures and coordinated chord attacks require steadier rhythm and articulation than a simple melody alone.

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-ShareAlike 2.5
Source
mutopiaproject.org
Credit
“Album pour la jeunesse - 2.Marche militaire” by R. Schumann (1810 to 1856). Mutopia edition maintained by Philippe Hézaine. Source: https://www.mutopiaproject.org/cgibin/piece-info.cgi?id=650. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/. 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

Make the dotted approach crisp and leave real space after the chords.

Practise it in PlayPiano