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Romantic · character piece

Album for the Young, Op. 68 No. 4, Un choral

Robert Schumann · Level 3, estimated · With Maestro

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The short answer

A hymn melody that returns later in the album. Album for the Young, Op. 68 No. 4, Un choral 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
  • gentle

Also known as Album for the Young, Op. 68 No. 4: Un choral; Album pour la jeunesse - 4.Un choral.

History

Schumann’s “Ein Choral” uses the melody of the hymn “Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele.” He returned to the same melody in the album’s later “Figurierter Choral,” No. 42.

Sources

What to listen for

  1. Long voices arrive at shared pauses

    Four strands move mainly in longer values, with fermatas ending the opening groups. Listen for the lines arriving together without losing their separate motion.

  2. The opening is written again

    The next group repeats the opening in the written source. Listen for the return of its phrases and shared pauses, not an invented additional repeat instruction.

  3. Higher answers change the shape

    The second part rises into changed answering groups. Hear the higher placement and compare the direction with the opening.

  4. A rising gesture leads to the final chord

    The closing groups include a rising quarter-note gesture before the last held chord. Follow that small movement toward the shared final arrival.

How to practise it

Give the chorale a connected top line without blurring the separate parts.

  1. Sing the top notes first, then play them with an unhurried release.
  2. Practise these lower half notes separately, then add the soprano softly.

How hard is it

Level 3, estimated

Chordal chorale writing requires connected voice leading, balanced attacks and thoughtful releases.

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 - 4.Un choral” by R. Schumann (1810 to 1856). Mutopia edition maintained by Philippe Hézaine. Source: https://www.mutopiaproject.org/cgibin/piece-info.cgi?id=782. 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

Give the chorale a connected top line without blurring the separate parts.

Practise it in PlayPiano