General Overview

This work is a collection of 43 short pieces for children, divided into two parts. It was composed and published in 1848. Beginning with this work, Schumann embarked on a series of educational and domestic pieces for children (Album of Songs for the Young, Op. 79; Twelve Piano Pieces for Four Hands for Small and Large Children, Op. 85; Three Piano Sonatas for the Young, Op. 118; and the four-hand work Children's Ball, Op. 130).

The impetus for its composition was the 7th birthday of his eldest daughter, Marie, on September 1, 1848. As a present, Schumann gave her a collection of eight pieces titled "Pieces for Piano." This included six pieces from Nos. 2-7 of the Album for the Young (hereafter referred to as the Album) and two pieces (Anh. 3, 24) compiled as an appendix (Anhang) (See table. There are a total of 30 pieces organized as an appendix, including those composed for the Album but not adopted). Later, Schumann added six more pieces (though effectively five due to duplication: Anh. 18-20, 24, 27, 29). Of the resulting 13 pieces, eight were his own compositions (Album Nos. 2-7, Anh. 3, 18), and six of these ultimately remained in the Album. The remaining five pieces, excluding his own compositions, were arrangements of works by past masters such as Handel and Bach (Anh. 19, 20, 24, 27, 29). Starting from this "Collection of Pieces for Marie," the work underwent a complex and diverse process of development in a short period.

Although originally a private work created within the family, Schumann had early on intended to disseminate this collection to the public. Clara, his wife, noted the following in her diary on Marie's birthday: "The pieces children usually learn in piano lessons are not very good. So Robert had the idea to compose and publish a collection of children's pieces. He has already written many charming little pieces." From the very next day, Schumann repeatedly revised the work. He composed new pieces to include in the collection one after another, while simultaneously refining the work's structure and order multiple times. According to surviving documents, configurations of 34, 50, and 41 pieces were considered, with ingenuity in selection and arrangement evident each time (See table). To elaborate, among the 34-piece configuration conceived in the early stages of composition, 15 pieces were included in the Album, 15 pieces were organized as an appendix, 3 pieces were unclear, and information for 1 piece was not recorded. At this point, the proportion of pieces in the Album to appendix pieces was half and half, and the order of pieces was far from its final form. Subsequently, the 50-piece configuration is seen in the printing master copy submitted by Schumann to the publisher. This included all 43 pieces of the Album and 7 pieces from the appendix. It can be observed that the overall structure was approaching its final form. Finally, in the 41-piece configuration, only Schumann's own compositions were gathered, and no appendix pieces were included. At this time, he newly conceived of the work as a collection of four volumes themed around the four seasons. Volume 1 (Spring) included Album Nos. 1-17; Volume 2 (Summer) included Nos. 18-26; Volume 3 (Autumn) included Nos. 27-29, 31-34, 40; and Volume 4 (Winter) included Nos. 35-39 (Nos. 38 and 39, 'Wintertime I and II,' were initially counted as one piece), 43, and one unknown piece. The 41 pieces were arranged and categorized according to the imagery of the four seasons. This configuration was also quite close to the final structure and order of the Album. Through these various stages, the collection was finally published with 43 pieces. Furthermore, it was divided by level, with Nos. 1-18 as Part 1 "For Smaller Children" and Nos. 19-43 as Part 2 "For Larger Children."

It was not only the structure that underwent changes. After Marie's birthday, the title Schumann gave to this work was "Christmas Album." Sketches note titles such as "Christmas Album for Children Who Love to Play the Piano" and "Musical Christmas Album for Small Children Aged 8 to 10 Who Play the Piano." The current title was adopted during the publication process, based on the publisher's advice. Schumann also planned to include illustrations in the margins of each piece to explain the music. He intended to commission close painters active in Dresden, but considering the effort and cost of printing, this idea had to be abandoned. Instead, Schumann focused on the title page. Around the title, ten related illustrations (specifically for Nos. 8, 10, 12, 15, 16, 22, 24, 33, 35, 38 & 39) are depicted, and in the particularly eye-catching four corners, illustrations representing spring, summer, autumn, and winter are assigned (No. 15 'Spring Song' = Spring, No. 24 'Harvest Song' = Summer, No. 33 'Grape Harvest Time' = Autumn, No. 38 & 39 'Wintertime I & II' = Winter). This is likely related to his conception of the work as a four-volume collection themed around the four seasons.

Title page of the Album for the Young (2nd edition, published 1850)

Thus, after various changes in ideas, the Album for the Young, Op. 68, was published in December 1848. The cover of the first edition was printed with "40 pieces," which was a misprint. Re-printing the cover would have been costly, and reducing the number of pieces was not an option, so it was published with the misprint. Two years later, in December 1850, the second edition of the Album, with such errors corrected, was published. At that time, an appendix titled "Musical Rules for Home and Life (Musikalische Haus- und Lebensregeln)" was included. This was a text written by Schumann outlining 68 important points for learning music. It is a valuable resource for understanding Schumann's musical views, and it also presents many instructive points for us today. In fact, from the early stages of the Album's composition, the "Musical Rules" were conceived as a set with the musical pieces and were written in parallel. Although there were plans to include them in the first edition, this was only realized in the second edition [1].

From the above, it appears that Schumann aimed to create a "music book" that could be learned familiarly at home, by integrating music, illustrations, and text. The work seems to have gained considerable popularity from its initial publication, as the publisher expected. Finally, among the pieces in the Appendix (Anhang) that were not included in the Album, some are unfinished or were only conceived. Of the total 30 pieces, 12 are arrangements of masterpieces by past masters, likely intended for children to learn through old classics.

Appendix (Anhang) Pieces

• No. 1: On the Gondola
• No. 2: After the Feast
• No. 3: Bear Dance
• No. 4: Canon
• No. 5: Chorale Arrangement (Unfinished)
• No. 6: For a Very Young Child
• No. 7: Fugue Fragment (Unfinished)
• No. 8: Fugue Fragment (Unfinished)
• No. 9: The Hidden Cuckoo
• No. 10: Tag
• No. 11: ***
• No. 12: Small Canon (Unfinished)
• No. 13: Untitled (Small Waltz)
• No. 14: Venetian Lagoon
• No. 15: Untitled (Note: "Let's also show the left hand")
• No. 16: Untitled (Prelude)
• No. 17: Doll's Lullaby
• No. 18: Rebus
• No. 19: Handel's Theme
• No. 20: Bach's Piece
• No. 21: Untitled (Piece from Gluck's opera Orfeo ed Euridice)
• No. 22: Conception only (Piece from Gluck's two Iphigenia operas)
• No. 23: Conception only (Piece from Haydn's Symphony)
• No. 24: Mozart's Piece
• No. 25: Andante (by Beethoven)
• No. 26: Weber's Drinking Song
• No. 27: Beethoven's Famous Melody
• No. 28: Conception only (Piece from Spohr's opera Jessonda)
• No. 29: Schubert's Ländler
• No. 30: Conception only (Mendelssohn's Piece)

[1] The complete Japanese translation of "Musical Rules for Home and Life" can be found in Naomi Monma's Schumann (Shunjusha, 2003, pp. 316-325), R. Schumann's Music and Musicians (translated by Hidekazu Yoshida, Iwanami Shoten, 1958, pp. 230-240), and the Wiener Urtext Edition published by Ongaku no Tomo Sha, among others.

Commentary on Each Piece

No. 1: Melody

C major, 4/4 time. A simply written piece where the right hand carries the melody and the left hand provides the accompaniment.

No. 2: Soldier's March

G major, 2/4 time. This piece was included from the early stages of the work's development. In "Pieces for Marie," it was written in 4/4 time, and almost every measure had dynamic markings of f or p. A lively march, marked "Lively and with tension" at the beginning.

No. 3: Humming Song

C major, 4/4 time. In "Pieces for Marie," it was placed as the first piece, titled "Lullaby for Ludwig." Ludwig was the fifth child of the Schumann family, born in January 1848, making him Marie's younger brother. This piece has a similar atmosphere to No. 1, "Melody," and No. 3, "Humming Song." Written in three-part form, the middle section develops into a simple two-voice texture in the right hand. Marked "Not fast" at the beginning.

No. 4: Chorale

G major, 2/2 time. In "Pieces for Marie," it was placed as the third piece. The melody of the chorale "Rejoice, O My Soul" is quoted, which is also used in No. 42, "Decorated Chorale." The Schumann family was familiar with this Protestant church hymn.

No. 5: Little Piece

C major, 4/4 time. In "Pieces for Marie," it was placed as the fourth piece, titled "Piece to Play After Finishing Homework." It has a similar atmosphere to No. 1, "Melody," and No. 3, "Humming Song," but this piece begins with an anacrusis, and its phrasing shows ingenuity. Marked "Not fast" at the beginning.

No. 6: The Poor Orphan

A minor, 2/4 time. In "Pieces for Marie," it was placed as the seventh piece, titled "Song of the Poor Child." Marked "Slowly" at the beginning, with additional tempo indications throughout the piece. It is in ABABA form.

No. 7: Hunting Song

F major, 6/8 time. In "Pieces for Marie," it was placed as the eighth piece, with no change in title (the pieces included in "Pieces for Marie" end here). Marked "Lively and cheerfully" at the beginning. Clara explained that the p sections in measures 11-12 and 15-16 depict the hunted prey darting through the forest.

No. 8: The Wild Horseman

A minor, 6/8 time. Originally titled "The Rocking Horse Rider." The title page, carefully designed by Schumann, includes an illustration for this piece, depicting a child riding a rocking horse, as suggested by the title. Written in three-part form, the middle section modulates to F major. Its character is similar to No. 7, "Hunting Song."

No. 9: Folk Song

D minor, 4/4 time. In three-part form, the middle section modulates to A major. While marked "In a mournful tone" at the beginning, the middle section is marked "Merrily." The challenge lies in expressing these two contrasting moods.

No. 10: The Happy Farmer – Returning from Work

F major, 4/4 time. This is the most famous piece in the collection. Marked "Lively and spirited" at the beginning. Within its 20 measures, the four-measure main theme appears four times, with a different melody appearing only in measures 9-10 and 15-16 (measures 9-10 and 15-16 have the same melodic pattern). The piece evokes the image of someone happily returning home after a day's work. The illustration for this piece on the title page depicts a farmer, his young son, and a dog, representing their return home with smoke rising from the chimney. According to Eugenie (Schumann's seventh child), the first eight measures are sung by the father alone, and thereafter the son joins in for a duet.

No. 11: Sicilienne

A minor, 6/8 time. In compound ternary form, the middle section changes to 2/4 time. Marked "Playfully" at the beginning. In the sketch stage, under the title "Two Siciliennes," the main section and middle section were separated, each being an individual piece. In the 34-piece configuration, "Two Siciliennes" was placed at the very end of the collection.

No. 12: Knecht Ruprecht

A minor, 2/4 time. In compound ternary form, the middle section modulates to F major. Knecht Ruprecht is a figure similar to Santa Claus who visits children on St. Nicholas' Day (December 6th), bringing presents and a switch. Good children receive rewards, while naughty children are punished with the switch. The main section and middle section seem to depict these contrasting scenes. The title page illustration shows round fruits spilling out of Santa Claus's bag.

No. 13: May, Dear May, Soon You Will Be Here Again

E major, 2/4 time. In two-part form, marked "Not fast" at the beginning. Detailed articulation markings are given for both hands, making it challenging in terms of both technique and expression.

No. 14: Little Study

G major, 6/8 time. Marked "To be played quietly and very evenly" at the beginning. Pedal markings are present throughout, except for measure 48. It is an arpeggio study, reminiscent of the Prelude to J. S. Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I, No. 1. It should be played while listening to the beautiful harmonic changes.

No. 15: Spring Song

E major, 6/8 time. Marked "To be played with feeling" at the beginning, and "A little slower" in the last two measures. "Una corda" is indicated in measures 21-24 and 37-40. It is also an important illustration filling one of the four corners of the title page, depicting a girl and children playing and picking flowers as an image of spring. Along with No. 13, "May, Dear May," it is a spring piece, both written in E major. Furthermore, commonalities can be seen in their opening main themes. Both pieces include an ascending sixth (No. 13: measure 1, B-G#; No. 15: measure 2, G#-E) and a descending second "sigh motif" (No. 13: measure 2, B-A; No. 15: measure 2, D#-C#).

No. 16: First Loss

E minor, 2/4 time. The original title was "Child's Misfortune." This piece expresses the children's sadness when their pet bird (a siskin) died on January 5, 1848. The illustration on the title page also depicts this scene. Marked "Not fast" at the beginning, and "A little slower" in the latter half. When the theme reappears "Im Tempo," it begins with a canon.

No. 17: Child in the Morning Stroll

A major, 2/4 time. A march-like piece marked "Lively and with vigor" at the beginning. Its theme is Marie's stroll. Marked "softly" in measure 20, depicting the child's footsteps gradually fading away. Eugenie noted that the low A in the left hand during the last 10 measures sounds like the farewell greeting of church bells.

No. 18: Harvest Song

C major, 6/8 time. Marked "Not too fast" at the beginning. The melody played in the soprano voice in the first four measures shifts to the alto voice in the next four measures, and then returns to the soprano voice from measure 9. A unison pattern begins from measure 12, and from measure 21, the opening melody reappears alternately. From measure 29, it evokes a duet, quietly closing the piece. This is the last piece of Part 1.

No. 19: Little Romance

A minor, 4/4 time. Marked "Not fast" at the beginning. Basically, the melody is played in unison throughout. Pay attention to the detailed dynamic markings.

No. 20: Country Song

A major, 2/4 time. Marked "At a moderate tempo." According to Eugenie, the main theme in the first eight measures is sung by several girls, and from measure 9, when the theme is repeated, a chorus joins in. From measure 17, where a new melody appears, a girl begins to sing alone, and the left-hand accompaniment in measure 25, where the main theme reappears, is said to represent a boy playing a reed pipe.

No. 21: ***

C major, 4/4 time. It has no specific title, indicated by three small stars (also used in Nos. 26 and 30). When Eugenie asked Clara about this enigma, Clara replied that it was probably a parent's thoughts about their children. Marked "Slowly and with feeling" at the beginning, with additional tempo indications throughout the piece. The two-measure opening theme quotes Florestan's line "May you be rewarded in a better world" from the trio in Act 2, No. 13 of Beethoven's opera Fidelio.

No. 22: Roundelay

A major, 6/8 time. Marked "Moderately. To be played very legato." There are also tempo indications throughout the piece. This work is used on the title page, depicting three girls dancing in a circle. The sketch for this piece notes that it was composed on September 13, 1848, which was Clara's birthday.

No. 23: Rider's Piece

D minor, 6/8 time. Marked "Short and clear" at the beginning. Marked "gradually softer" in measure 21 and "increasingly softer" in measure 34. The sixteenth-note + eighth-note octave pattern appearing from the beginning represents the sound of horse hooves.

No. 24: Harvest Song

A major, 6/8 time. Marked "With cheerful expression" at the beginning, with a tempo indication at the end. The ascending motif is similar to No. 10, "The Happy Farmer." This piece symbolizes summer and fills one of the four corners of the title page. It depicts a scene where three boys and girls are harvesting, and one boy stops working upon finding a beautifully blooming poppy among the grains.

No. 25: Echoes from the Theater

A minor, 2/4 time. Marked "Somewhat agitated" at the beginning. In the winter of 1846-47, Marie and Elise (Schumann's second child) accompanied their parents on a concert tour to Vienna. On their way back, in Brünn and Prague, six-year-old Marie visited the theater for the first time. This piece depicts Marie's excitement at that time.

No. 26: ***

F major, 4/4 time. Like No. 21, it has no title. Marked "Not fast, to be played beautifully" at the beginning, with tempo indications throughout the piece. After the soprano voice sings the theme in the first four measures, the tenor voice imitates it. After a middle section, the theme reappears from measure 13, and from measure 17, a dialogue between soprano and tenor can be observed.

No. 27: Song in Canon Form

A minor, 2/4 time. Marked "Not fast, with heartfelt expression." Tempo indications are also found throughout the piece. Written in four voices, but imitation is repeated between the soprano and tenor voices. It is an exercise for both fingers and ears, distinguishing and playing each voice.

No. 28: Remembrance (November 4, 1847)

A major, 2/4 time. Marked "Not fast, to be played very expressively" at the beginning, with tempo indications throughout the piece. The title includes the date "November 4, 1847," but the printing master copy had the title "In Remembrance of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, who died on November 4, 1847, at the age of 38." This piece was thus written in memory of Mendelssohn. It is modeled after Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words, and the opening instruction precisely proves this. Mendelssohn was Marie's godfather.

No. 29: The Stranger

D minor, 2/4 time. Marked "To be played powerfully and robustly" at the beginning. With many repeat signs, it is the largest piece in the collection. It is in three-part form with a coda, written in a march-like style. The middle section (measures 32-55) modulates to B major and flows gently.

No. 30: ***

F major, 4/4 time. Like Nos. 21 and 26, it has no title. Marked "Very slowly" at the beginning, with tempo indications throughout the piece. Also, for the repetition of the first eight measures, the first time is p, and the second time is pp. In the sketch stage, it was in C major. Written in four voices, it requires awareness of the role of each voice while playing.

No. 31: War Song

D major, 6/8 time. Marked "Very powerfully" at the beginning. The piece opens with a unison shout in the first four measures, setting the scene for battle. The heavy chord progressions and dynamic markings of f or louder evoke intense combat. The piece concludes with a fanfare-like motif.

No. 32: Scheherazade

A minor, 4/4 time. Marked "Quite slowly and quietly" at the beginning. Written in three voices, it has an ABB form. Scheherazade is the name of a woman in "Arabian Nights (One Thousand and One Nights)." Once upon a time, a king, cursed all women due to his beloved queen's infidelity, and as revenge, he would marry a new queen every day, spend one night with her, and then kill her. The beautiful Scheherazade became one of his queens, but she entertained the king with interesting stories every night, eventually preserving her life for a thousand and one nights and becoming his queen. Perhaps Schumann also told stories to his children.

No. 33: Grape Harvest Time – Happy Time!

E major, 2/4 time. Marked "Cheerfully" at the beginning. The piece provides practice in dotted notes, staccato, semitones, and trills. As a piece symbolizing autumn, it is depicted in one of the four corners of the title page. It shows children happily harvesting grapes, with some children unable to wait and already eating the grapes.

No. 34: Theme

C major, 2/4 time. Marked "Slowly, with heartfelt emotion" at the beginning, with tempo indications at the end. The voice leading in the four voices is intricately intertwined, and the harmony is also very complex. Although a short piece of only 20 measures, it is a challenging work that requires organizing various problems while playing.

No. 35: Mignon

E-flat major, 4/4 time. Marked "Slowly and gently" at the beginning, with pedal indications throughout the piece. The title of the piece was "The Tightrope Walker Girl" in the sketch stage, and "Mignon (Tightrope Walking)" in the printing master copy. As suggested by these titles, the title page depicts a girl walking on a tightrope. While calm, the piece also has a certain precariousness, for example, with sudden fp markings in the left hand.

No. 36: Italian Sailor's Song

G minor, 6/8 time. The introduction is in unison, marked "Slowly," and from measure 4, it becomes "Fast" and enters the main section. It is a technically challenging piece that requires practice of staccato thirds. The introduction and main section are briefly reprised at the end. The title in the printing master copy was "Sailor's Song."

No. 37: Sailor's Song

G minor, 4/4 time. Marked "Not fast" at the beginning. Most of it is played in unison. As the title suggests, it is related to the previous piece. Both are written in G minor, and in the printing master copy, this piece was additionally noted as "An answer to the previous piece."

No. 38: Wintertime I

Nos. 38 and 39 were originally considered a single piece. It is depicted as a winter illustration in one of the four corners of the title page. The illustration shows an old person sitting in front of a warm fireplace, with a girl playing and dancing with a doll beside them. C minor, 4/4 time. Marked "Quite slowly" at the beginning.

No. 39: Wintertime II

C minor, 2/4 time. Marked "Slowly" at the beginning, "gradually more lively" in measure 25, a ritardando in measure 40, "at the original tempo" in measure 41, "a little slower" in measure 49, "gradually slower" in measure 69, and "una corda" in measure 72. In measures 49-64, the melody of "Grandfather's Dance," quoted in the finale of Papillons, Op. 2, appears. This is an old traditional round dance that served as a closing function at banquets to bring back a cheerful mood, and a parody of this song became very popular in the 19th century. The piece depicts a contrasting scene of the cold, dark outdoor landscape with deep snow falling, and a child playing cheerfully in a warm room.

No. 40: Little Fugue

Along with No. 27, "Song in Canon Form," this piece focuses on counterpoint. It consists of a prelude and fugue in A major. The prelude is in 2/4 time. The three-voice fugue is in 6/8 time, marked "Lively, but not too fast" at the beginning. Both are based on the same theme.

No. 41: Northern Song (Greeting to G.)

F major, 4/4 time. Marked "In the style of a folk song" at the beginning. It progresses with four-voice harmony. The subtitle "G." refers to the Danish composer Niels Gade. His surname "GADE" is transliterated into note names: G-A-D-E, which is developed as the theme. Gade was a friend of Schumann's and served as a professor at the Leipzig Conservatory and conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra.

No. 42: Decorated Chorale

F major, 4/4 time. Like No. 4, "Chorale," the melody of the Lutheran chorale "Rejoice, O My Soul" is used. Compared to No. 4, it is clear that delicate movements have been added to the inner voice of the right hand. The decoration should be subtle so as not to disturb the chorale melody.

No. 43: New Year's Eve Song

A major, 4/4 time. Marked "At a moderate speed" at the beginning. In the sketch and printing master copy stages, it was titled "At the End." "New Year's Eve," the last day of the year, is a fitting word to conclude the collection. From this, it is clear that the work was conceived with the theme of the four seasons. Since the right hand generally moves in chords, one must carefully grasp each chord while beautifully singing the melody line.