''Bunte Blätter'' (English: ''Colorful Leaves''),
Op. 99, is a collection of piano pieces by
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann (; ; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and music critic of the early Romantic music, Romantic era. He composed in all the main musical genres of the time, writing for solo piano, voice and piano, chamber ...
assembled from earlier unpublished pieces after the success of the ''
Album for the Young
''Album for the Young'' ('), Op. 68, was composed by Robert Schumann in 1848 for his three daughters. The album consists of a collection of 43 short works. Unlike the ', they are suitable to be played by children or beginners. The second part, st ...
(Album für die Jugend)'', Op. 68. Upon publication the pieces were issued both as a complete set and individual pieces, the latter in differently colored 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
Clara Josephine Schumann (; ; née Wieck; 13 September 1819 – 20 May 1896) was a German pianist, composer, and piano teacher. Regarded as one of the most distinguished pianists of the Romantic music, Romantic era, she exerted her influence o ...
and
Brahms
Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid- Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, often set within studied ye ...
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
References
;Notes
;Sources
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
* , performed by Sviatoslav Richter
* , performed by Sviatoslav Richter
{{Schumann solo piano
1848 compositions
1849 compositions
Piano music by Robert Schumann
Compositions for solo piano