Service music included in our worship for Sunday, July 19 revolves around Robert Schumann’s (1810-1856) suite of solo piano pieces called Kinderszenen, opus 15, from 1838. Translated as “Scenes from Childhood,” the composer once told a friend, “this music was intended as an adult’s reflections on childhood and not with young pianist’s in mind.” Schumann originally intended this opus to include 30 short movements, but, in the end, only thirteen made the cut of the self-critical composer. Kinderszenen have been loved by pianists around the world for many decades now; Vladimir Horowitz famously played them in concert throughout his career.
Perhaps the most famous piece of the collection is Träumerei (Dreaming). A 1944 German biographical film of the same name portrays the life of the composer’s pianist wife, Clara Wieck Schumann (1819-1896). Speaking of the movements from this suite, Robert Schumann famously told Clara that the “small, droll things” were inspired by her comment that he sometimes “seemed like a child.” (He also said that the pieces are “more cheerful, gentler, and melodic” than his earlier works.) Träumerei is also used as the opening and closing music of the 1947 Hollywood film – Song of Love – that stars Katharine Hepburn as Clara.
In these days of hoping and longing for a more perfect, peaceful world, I hope these simple, innocent, dream-like pieces will contribute to our corporate worship and prayer this week.
No comments:
Post a Comment