Scenes from childhood, op. 15 = Kinderscenen, for the piano

A curious story, told with playful, unpredictable turns.

Catch me, a quick game of chase.

A pleading child, tender and unresolved.

Happy enough, a small, contented dance.

An important event, told with mock seriousness.

Dreaming, the most famous number in the set.

At the fireside, warm and settled.

Knight of the hobbyhorse, a galloping child's game.

Almost too serious, a moment of unexpected gravity.

Frightening, alternating between playful menace and comfort.

Child falling asleep, drifting and unfinished.

The poet speaks, a quiet epilogue that steps outside the child's world entirely.