Schumann R. Waldscenen. Cycle pieces for piano

The genre of piano cycle seemed vital in Schumann's creation. Being the author of famous vосаl cycles (“Poet's Love” and “Woman's Love and Destiny”), the opera “Genoveva”, four symphonies, oratorio “The Paradise and Peri”, Schumann embodied the principle romantic aspirations of his epoch in the cycles of piano miniatures, thus working out his style, exposed in the “Carnival”, “Dances of Davidsbündlers”, “Kreisleriana”, “Butter-flies”, “Children's Scenes”.

Schumann composed the “Forest Scenes” in 1848–1849. Those were the years of the great artist's last acme “as if the storms outside him turned his attention into the world of spirit, where the repulse was discovered to everything invading to his soul from the outside” (these are his own words). The exhausting creative process fatigued him, causing unbearable head-ache attacks and illness. Therefore one of his necessary occupations became walking with his wife and friend. Schumann's friend Vasilevsky remembered: “Sometimes our strolls were revived by interesting discussions, however very often the composer was deep in thought, being obsessed by musical ideas, his head bent, his hand moving as if conducting. Then all the whole way passed absolutely silent, interrupted by the only “good-bye” to each other...” The “Forest Scenes” must have been invented during such spring walks along the Rein.

Contents:

1. At the Wood Edge (Music text example)
2. The Ambushing Hunter
3. Lonely Flowers
4. The Damned Place
5. Affable Corner
6. Lodging for Night
7. Prophetic Bird
8. Hunting Song
9. Parting (Music text example)