Initially only conceived as a birthday album for his daughter Marie, Schumann’s “Pieces for Piano” op. 68 received tremendous acclaim throughout the world. Is there a piano student who has not played part of them? It is, however, a less well-known fact that Schumann also composed a “music historical course of instruction” for the piano in this connection. We have included this and other pieces originally intended for the “Album” in the appendix to our painstakingly revised edition. Rounded off by the inclusion of Ludwig Richter’s illustration for the title page of the first edition and the trilingual print of the “Advice to Young Musicians”, our Urtext edition offers a vivid picture of middle-class musical culture in Schumann’s times.

Contents: Andante Con Moto Choral Echoes from the Theatre Figured Choral First Loss Folk Song The Happy Farmer Returning from Work Harvest Song The Horseman Humming Song Hunting Song (Jagerliedchen) In Memoriam Italian Sailor’s Song Knecht Ruprecht Lento Espressivo Little Fugue Little Piece Little Romance Little Song in Canon-Form Little Study (Kleine Studie) May, Sweet May Melody Mignon Molto Lento New Year’s Eve Norse Song The Poor Orphan The Reaper’s Song (Schnitterliedchen) Roaming in the Morning Roundelay Rustic Song Sailor’s Song Sheherazade Sicilienne Soldier’s March (Soldatenmarsch) Spring Song Strange Man Theme Vintage-Time War Song The Wild Horseman Winter-Time I Winter-Time II.