Träumerei, Op. 15 No. 7

About this piece

Träumerei ('Dreaming') is No. 7 of Kinderszenen, Op. 15, Schumann's 1838 cycle of short piano pieces published by Breitkopf & Härtel in 1839. This entry is the cello-and-piano transcription by Friedrich Grützmacher (1832-1903), No. 4 of his 12 Ausgewählte Compositionen of Schumann pieces for cello and piano (Edition Peters EP 2375, still in print). Grützmacher has a direct link to Schumann's cello music: according to Henle he gave what is traditionally counted as the first public performance of the Fünf Stücke im Volkston, Op. 102, with Clara Schumann at the Leipzig Gewandhaus in 1859. His version moves the piece to G major and asks for a mute ('con Sordino'), and the cello carries the melody high in the tenor clef with detailed fingerings. Cellists including Mstislav Rostropovich and Mischa Maisky have recorded Träumerei with piano. Their recordings do not necessarily use this arrangement. The original Peters edition is free from the Sibley Music Library and IMSLP, and Schumann's piano original is free on IMSLP too.

Technical overview

One slow piece (Andante, con sordino), about 2½-3 minutes, in G major in this arrangement. The cello part shifts constantly between bass and tenor clef, has long legato slurs across shifts, and uses thumb position (marked) in the upper register. It calls for rubato (poco animato, poco rall., a tempo, ritard.) and close control of dynamics from pp to f.

Technical focus

• Legato
• Shifting
• Thumb Position
• Dynamics
• Hairpin Dynamics
• Rubato