Schumann: Wild Rider, Op. 68 No. 8 (The Wild Horseman)

Robert Schumann wrote the Album for the Young (Album für die Jugend), a group of 43 miniature pieces, in 1848. He had three daughters at the time—Marie, Elise, and Julie — and he wrote this collection with them in mind. He and Clara had five additional children thereafter.

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Wild Rider Op. 68 No. 8 Analysis and Form

Wild Rider follows a simple ternary form (A-B-A). First we hear the initial statement of the melody, expressed through an arpeggio pattern in the right hand. In the B section, the left hand takes over the arpeggio melody, although it is stated in a major key. We then turn to the A section and here the melody one last time, again in the right hand, and again in the original minor key.

Schumann wrote the piece in A minor — the initial statement of the melody is in A minor, the the B section is in the relative major key (C major), and the the piece returns to A minor for the conclusion.

What Level is the Wild Rider by Schumann?

Wild Rider should be considered a level four piece, intended for early intermediate or intermediate pianists. If you want to play the piece at a brisk tempo for performance or recording purposes, it could be considered level 5-6. Wild Rider is considered a lower-level piece of repertoire because while it sounds “busy,” the pianist is really only playing two broken primary chords: A minor and C major. There is also a lot of repetition, making the overall amount of new music to be learned relatively small

Additional teaching considerations include the fact that Wild Rider requires arpeggio technique in both hands, proper voicing in both the right and the left hand, and proper execution of two-note slurs in the statement of the melody.

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