Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann

• Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Clara Schumann (1819- 1896)
  
• Instrumentation: piano
• Texture: this piece is rich. The pianist makes it sound like there are multiple lines of music at one time. They are very connected though, as if they are playing off each other, and at times they come together.
• Range: The range of this piece is not spectacularly large. While the pianist does travel up and down the piano, the overall sound of the piece seems to be centered, as opposed to having very distinct high and low parts. It is interesting to analyze range on a piece that is strictly piano, because all pianos have the same range, whereas with vocalists, the range is much broader.
• Tempo: the tempo varies throughout the piece. The parts of it that are forte seem to be faster while the piano parts are played more slowly.
• Meter: I'm going to guess that this piece had a triple beat. I'd certainly be more likely to waltz to it than I would be to march.
• Volume: The volume varies with the tempo. As I said before, the faster parts seem to be louder and the slower parts seem to be softer.
• Other: This piece definitely brings a new style to our listening collection. It may just be my personal taste, but I found this piece to be by far the most listenable. I really enjoyed it and could see myself listening to a piece like this voluntarily. I would attribute this to the fact that there was no vocalist, and the instrumentation was simple. For me a voice that accompanies a piece can often be distracting, especially like the voice in Hor che Apollo. Also, with just a piano providing the music, the overall feel becomes soft; a harpsichord just can't seem to deliver the same relaxing effect.