Humoreske (Schumann)

Humoreske in B-flat major, Op. 20, is a romantic piano piece by Robert Schumann, composed in 1839 and dedicated to Julie von Webenau. Schumann cited Jean Paul's style of humour as source of inspiration, although there are no direct programmatic links to Jean Paul's oeuvre found in the piece.

The Humoreske consists of seven sections (not originally indicated as such by the composer except for the last one, "Zum Beschluss"), to be played attacca after each other. Although the piece is nominally written in B-flat major, most of the piece is set in B-flat major's relative minor key, G minor. The musical texture and emotional tone, though, varies widely and differs greatly between the sections:

1. "Einfach" (B-flat-major, , M. M. = 80)
   – "Sehr rasch und leicht" (B-flat-major, ²/₄, M. M. = 138)
   – "Noch rascher" (G minor)
   – "Erstes Tempo" Wie im Anfang (B-flat major, )
2. "Hastig" (G minor, ²/₄, M. M. = 126)
   – "Nach und nach immer lebhafter und stärker" (D minor)
   – "Wie vorher" Adagio
3. "Einfach und zart" (G minor, , M. M. = 100)
   – "Intermezzo" (B-flat major, ²/₄, M. M. = 100)
4. "Innig" (B-flat major, , M. M. = 116)
   – "Schneller" (Tempo I)
5. "Sehr lebhaft" (G-minor/B-flat major, ²/₄, M. M. = 76)
   – "Immer lebhafter" Stretto
6. "Mit einigem Pomp" (C minor, , M. M. = 92)
7. "Zum Beschluss" (B-flat major, , M. M. = 112 ) Allegro

A typical performance is about 27 minutes long.

Sources

• Robert Schumann: Sämtliche Klavierwerke, vol. IV, Breitkopf & Härtel, Wiesbaden 1988, pp. 1–29.

External links

• Humoreske: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
• Performance of Humoreske by Paavali Jumppanen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in MP3 format