Bunte Blätter (English:Colorful Leaves),Op. 99, is a collection of piano pieces byRobert Schumann assembled from earlier unpublished pieces after the success of theAlbum for the Young (Album für die Jugend), Op. 68.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.[1]
Robert Schumann started work on assembling the collection of pieces that were eventually published as theBunte Blätter Op. 99 andAlbumblätter Op. 124 in late 1850. His original plan was to publish the pieces as a single collection entitledSpreu (English:Chaff). When the music publisher F. W. Arnold objected to the proposed title, Schumann decided to split the collection.[2]
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.[3] 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.[4] Dates of composition range from 1834[a] to 1849 .[b]
BothClara Schumann andBrahms wrote sets of variations on the theme of the fourth movement ("Ziemlich langsam") fromBunte 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.[3][1][2]
| Title[5] | Average duration | Key signature |
|---|---|---|
| Stücke I (Piece I) Nicht schnell, mit Innigkeit -Not fast, with sensitivity | 2:20 | A major |
| Stücke II (Piece II) Sehr rasch -Very fast | 0:50 | E minor |
| Stücke III (Piece III) Frisch -Fresh | 0:50 | E major |
| Albumblätter I (Album Leaf I) Ziemlich langsam -Pretty slow | 2:00 | F♯ minor |
| Albumblätter II (Album Leaf II) Schnell -fast | 0:40 | B minor |
| Albumblätter III (Album Leaf III) Ziemlich langsam, sehr gesangvoll -Pretty slow, very songlike | 1:50 | A♭ major |
| Albumblätter IV (Album Leaf IV) Sehr langsam -Very slow | 2:10 | E♭ minor |
| Albumblätter V (Album Leaf V) Langsam -Slowly | 1:30 | E♭ major |
| Novelette Lebhaft -Lively | 2:50 | B minor |
| Präludium (Prelude) Energisch -Energetic | 1:20 | B♭ minor |
| Marsch (March) Sehr getragen -Very drawn out | 7:50 | D minor |
| Abendmusik (Evening Music) Im Menuetttempo -Minuet tempo | 3:30 | B♭ major |
| Scherzo Lebhaft -Lively | 4:35 | G minor |
| Geschwindmarsch (Swift March) Sehr markiert -Very marked | 3:30 | G minor |