Bunte Blätter (English: Colourful Leaves), Op. 99, is a collection of fourteen piano pieces by Robert Schumann assembled from earlier unpublished pieces after the success of the Album for the Young (Album für die Jugend), Op. 68. Upon publication in 1852 the pieces were issued both as a complete set and individual pieces, the latter in differently coloured covers.
History
Robert Schumann started work on assembling the collection of pieces that were eventually published as the Bunte Blätter Op. 99 and Albumblätter Op. 124 in late 1850. His original plan was to publish the pieces as a single collection entitled Spreu (English: Chaff). When the music publisher F. W. Arnold objected to the proposed title, Schumann decided to split the collection.
All of the pieces used were works that Schumann had composed in the past and had either not intended for publication, or had been rejected for publication with earlier sets of pieces. Ernst Herttrich in his preface to the Henle score, comments that the specific criteria the composer used to select the pieces included in either this collection or the succeeding one are unknown, though the pieces are organised loosely from least to most difficult. Dates of composition range from 1834 to 1849.
Both Clara Schumann and Brahms wrote sets of variations on the theme of the fourth movement ("Ziemlich langsam") from Bunte Blätter: Clara in her opus 20, and Brahms in his opus 9.
Many writers have pointed out that several of the pieces had personal associations for the author, for example, the first piece in the collection was a Christmas greeting the composer had composed for his wife Clara in 1838.
Pieces in the collection Bunte Blätter is a compilation of fourteen pieces, with a total performance time of around 40 minutes. Title Key signature Average estimated duration (mins)1 Stücke I (Piece I) Nicht schnell, mit Innigkeit - Not fast, with sensitivity A major 22 Stücke II (Piece II)Sehr rasch - Very fast E minor 13 Stücke III (Piece III) Frisch - Fresh E major 14 Albumblätter I (Album Leaf I) Ziemlich langsam - Pretty slow F minor 25 Albumblätter II (Album Leaf II) Schnell - fast B minor 1 6 Albumblätter III (Album Leaf III) Ziemlich langsam, sehr gesangvoll - Pretty slow, very songlike A major 27 Albumblätter IV (Album Leaf IV) Sehr langsam - Very slow E minor 38 Albumblätter V (Album Leaf V) Langsam - Slowly E major 29 Novelette Lebhaft - Lively B minor 310 Präludium (Prelude) Energisch - Energetic B minor 111 Marsch (March) Sehr getragen - Very drawn out D minor 812 Abendmusik (Evening Music) Im Menuetttempo - Minuet tempo B major 413 Scherzo Lebhaft - Lively G minor 414 Geschwindmarsch (Swift March) Sehr markiert - Very marked G minor 4
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External links
, performed by Sviatoslav Richter , performed by Sviatoslav Richter