Schumann Of Foreign Lands and Peoples

KevinM

This is very likely my favourite piece of ones that are in my capability to play at my level.

While I was previously learning I never really let it get fully out of my fingers, and as a result getting it back into shape has been relatively easy and I think while I am playing piano it will always remain close to being ready to just play.

ShiroKuro

KevinM that was truly lovely!!

Peyton

Very nicely played!

Ornstein

You have a great cantabile phrasing for this piece and Schumann, fantastic recording.

KevinM

I've recorded this again now I have video setup.

pianoloverus

In the B section of the piece I think you end the ritardondo about a measure too early. It should go until the opening theme reappears again. Well done otherwise.

rogerch

KevinM Great playing!

ShiroKuro

KevinM that was just lovely! Beautifully played!

pianoloverus

Most of the pieces in this suite have obvious references to childhood, but I don't see how the title of this piece, Of Foreign
lands and People, fits that category(and the music doesn't seem to reflect the title). Same for the last one, "The Poet Speaks". Anyone have any ideas about this?

KevinM

I always thought the first one was connecting with a child’s imagination wondering what people and places outside of their experience were like.

The poet speaks I have no idea.

pianoloverus

KevinM I always thought the first one was connecting with a child’s imagination wondering what people and places outside of their experience were like.

I asked AI after I wrote my post and they said something similar to what you're saying so my guess is your understanding it's probably correct. But although I don't really know, my feeling is that young children don't think about that type of thing. And although I think this first piece in the suite is very beautiful and even a masterpiece, it doesn't seem exotic which is what I'd expect based on the title.

twocats

pianoloverus Most of the pieces in this suite have obvious references to childhood, but I don't see how the title of this piece, Of Foreign
lands and People, fits that category(and the music doesn't seem to reflect the title). Same for the last one, "The Poet Speaks". Anyone have any ideas about this?

Not sure, but my student was working on the last two pieces and said that the second last piece ("Child Going To Sleep", I think) was meant to be the end of the set, but then Schumann decided it wasn't a good ending so he added "The Poet Speaks". So that piece was an afterthought, which might be why it isn't as much on theme, and why the set is 13 pieces which is strange. It's a very lovely piece.

pianoloverus

@"twocats"#
Here's what AI thinks about this question which seems at least reasonable to me. AI Overview
" "The Poet Speaks" (Der Dichter spricht) serves as the reflective epilogue to Schumann’s Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood, Op. 15), shifting the perspective from a child's experiences in the first 12 pieces to an adult’s nostalgic, bittersweet remembrance of childhood. It acts as a bridge between childhood innocence and adult understanding, framing the set as a nostalgic "eulogy" to the past.Key insights on how "The Poet Speaks" fits into the work:A Shift in Perspective: While the previous pieces (like "Of Foreign Lands and People" or "Blind Man's Bluff") are simple, charming vignettes, the final piece is more complex, slower, and contemplative, showing the adult "poet" reflecting on the memories.The Adult on Stage: The title implies that the narrator is no longer the child, but the artist/composer himself observing and interpreting the essence of childhood.Idealized Nostalgia: It represents a poignant longing for past happiness, turning the entire cycle into an adult's reflection on innocent times, rather than a child's direct experience.Adding Meaning to Memory: While the 12th piece ("Important Event") ends the active scenes, the 13th acts as a summary, adding emotional depth and a "poetic," philosophical tone to the preceding lighthearted scenes.Unifying Theme: It fits the overall goal of the work (written in 1838) which, despite its name, was intended for adults as a nostalgic look back, according to practisingthepiano.com.The piece acts as the final "spoken" word, leaving the listener with a sense of gentle longing rather than a childish game or scene, providing closure to a deeply romantic work, notes abc.net.au."

I think if there was a prize for popularity of a piece among professional pianists divided by the piece's technical difficulty, Kinderszenen might take the prize.