Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856)

edicated to Schumann’s young daughters, and evidently meant for their small hands to play at the keyboard,  Op 68 dates: Listen to the creeping bass-octave writing at the start and you can feel the dark chill of winter. Keep the dynamics quiet and use your best legato – the fingers should ‘crawl’ over the keys. A more passionate and spirited section in the key of G minor appears at bar 25 – make sure to bring out the sharp contrast of dynamics from bar 33. The opening returns briefly at bar 41, but not for long – bar 49 heralds a long coda which sees the darkness lifting; at bar 72, Schumann has taken us into the glorious key of C major. The sun has emerged!