Curiose Geschichte, Op. 15 No. 2 (Kinderszenen)
A child telling a very important story.
Curious Story is the second piece in Kinderszenen (Op. 15, 1838), Schumann's set of adult reminiscences of childhood. Where the opening piece dreamed quietly, this one is full of energy and urgency - the musical image of a child bursting in with news that absolutely cannot wait.
The 'curiosity' lives in the rhythm: Schumann displaces the main accent off the beat, creating a charming and slightly breathless quality. He added the evocative titles to Kinderszenen after the music was finished, choosing words that matched what he heard rather than programming the notes in advance - which gives the pieces a freedom that purely descriptive titles rarely achieve.
Feel the off-beat before you play it.
Tap the syncopated rhythm on your knee - on the knee, OFF the beat - until it feels natural, then transfer that same physical certainty to the keyboard. The piece sounds awkward only when the player is surprised by the displaced accent; own the rhythm first and the notes will follow.
Engraving based on the Mutopia Project edition , licensed CC BY 3.0.
MIDI based on the Mutopia Project edition , licensed CC BY 3.0.
Before you practice.
01 What makes Curiose Geschichte difficult for intermediate students?
The challenge is managing sudden sforzando accents in a 3/4 waltz texture without tensing the arm or losing rhythmic evenness. Students also need to maintain a light touch on unaccented beats so the accents truly stand out. The 40-measure structure with repeat signs requires stamina and consistent character from start to finish.
02 Why does Schumann use so many unexpected accents in this piece?
The sforzandos reflect the unpredictable energy of a child telling an exciting or implausible story - the music literally interrupts itself with sudden emphasis, just as a child might. Schumann often used displaced accents to capture spontaneous, spoken emotion within strict musical forms.
Own the syncopation.
In slow-tempo mode, listen for the displaced accents to land squarely where they belong. Use wait-for-note mode to pause on the off-beat entries and feel them settle. Loop the bars where the syncopation is densest - usually the middle section - until the rhythm feels as stable as a simple four-four march.
