Carnaval — Valse allemande

Carnaval — Valse allemande by Robert Schumann, catalogued as Op. 9, is a work for solo piano in A-flat major. Composed during the Romantic era, it forms part of the composer's enduring contribution to the keyboard repertoire and is freely available in the public domain through archives such as IMSLP.

Robert Schumann's piano cycles — Carnaval, Kreisleriana, Davidsbündlertänze, Kinderszenen, Fantasiestücke, the Symphonic Etudes — invented the Romantic character-piece collection. His writing is by turns intimate and orchestral, lyrical and ironic.

The work is suited to advanced-level pianists. As with all repertoire from this period, study editions vary; the public-domain engravings linked here are based on the most widely-circulated nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century editions and are sufficient for serious study, recital preparation, and recording.

About Robert Schumann

Robert Schumann's piano cycles — Carnaval, Kreisleriana, Davidsbündlertänze, Kinderszenen, Fantasiestücke, the Symphonic Etudes — invented the Romantic character-piece collection. His writing is by turns intimate and orchestral, lyrical and ironic.

Key character — A-flat major

Tender and confidential. The key of Chopin's slow movements and Schubert's most intimate Impromptus.

The Romantic Era

The Romantic era turned the piano into an orchestra under ten fingers. Chopin, Schumann, Schubert, Liszt, Brahms, and Mendelssohn pushed expression toward the personal and the poetic, exploiting pedal, color, and virtuosity in equal measure.

About the Waltz form

Born of the Viennese ballroom, the waltz entered the concert hall through Schubert, Chopin, Liszt, and Brahms. Concert waltzes are stylized rather than danceable, exploiting the 3/4 lilt for moments of tenderness, brilliance, or wistful retrospection.