Schumann: Of Foreign Lands and Peoples

[Martin Jonas]

Robert Schumann: Kinderszenen (Op. 15, 1838)
1. Von fremden Ländern und Menschen (Of Foreign Lands and Peoples)

This is a romantic piano miniature by Robert Schumann, which I have played as a plucked instrument trio of mandolin, tenor guitar and mandocello. As the original piano piece has three clearly defined separate voices, it is straightforward to separate them out into parts for three instruments. Between the instruments, all of Schumann's original notes are there, although for better voicing I have transposed a few notes in bars 9-12 down by an octave. It does sit very nicely on these instruments.

I attach two alternative scores, with accompaniment either in octave treble clef (for OM, tenor guitar or guitar) or in alto and bass clef (for CGDA mandola and mandocello).

1890s Umberto Ceccherini mandolin
Vintage Viaten tenor guitar
Suzuki MC-815 mandocello



Martin