Sicilienne
An old Italian dance in a children's album.
Schumann assembled Album for the Young (Op. 68) in 1848 for his daughter Marie's birthday, filling the first half of the collection with accessible pieces for young players and the second with more demanding music. Near the end of the first half sits the Sicilienne - a piece whose roots go back centuries before Schumann was born.
The siciliano is a Baroque dance form associated with Sicily, traditionally in a lilting dotted-sixth rhythm that rocks gently in compound meter. Schumann's version is in A minor and keeps the characteristic swaying feel while giving it a Romantic harmonic warmth. It is more introspective than the marches and dances around it, and the minor key lends it a bittersweet quality - old, unhurried, and slightly melancholy.
Find the sway before the speed.
Learn the characteristic siciliano rhythm in the right hand at a slow tempo so the dotted-note lilt feels natural. Then add the left hand and work on keeping the rocking motion even - the piece should feel like a boat on calm water, never rushed or choppy.
MIDI based on the Mutopia Project edition , licensed CC BY-SA 2.5.
Before you practice.
01 How difficult is Schumann's Sicilienne Op. 68 No. 11?
It is a late-beginner piece, largely due to its 74-measure length and the flowing 6/8 left-hand pattern that must stay light and even throughout. Students comfortable with the earlier Op. 68 pieces will find it a satisfying next step.
02 What is a sicilienne in music?
A sicilienne (or siciliano) is a Baroque-era dance in 6/8 or 12/8 time with a lilting, dotted rhythm, traditionally associated with pastoral or sorrowful moods. Schumann's version captures both the gentle sway and the melancholy of the original form.
Rock, do not rush.
At 60% tempo the siciliano rhythm reveals any unevenness in the dotted figures. Use loop mode on the middle section, where the harmony moves through a brief major passage before returning to A minor. Once the sway feels natural, resist the urge to play too fast - the sicilienne's character depends on an unhurried, floating pulse.
