Just a quick query. Could anyone shed light on the tempo marking ( crotchet = @ 76 ) in the current grade 5 piece "Of foreign Lands and People" Schumann. It seems to be an extremely brisk tempo for this style of music and to be honest I have never heard it played at this pace, always much slower. Could it be a misprint and if not, what are your thoughts about playing it at a much slower and IMO a more realistic tempo. ( I know it says @76 but even so, a few notches slower is still too quick. )
Thanks,
Danemann.

Well, the first example I found on youtube is Horowitz in 1962, and I don't think it's far off crotchet=76. I suspect that you'll find quite a wide variety of tempos, and it's then up to you to decide which you think makes the music most effective ... and then discover how to play it like that. My own feeling is that yes, it does need to flow ... try singing the melody as a simple song, forgetting about the triplets, and I suspect you'll end up singing it round the 76-mark. Then just let the triplets reappear, rippling under the song. One of my pet hates is when simple background accompaniment is foregrounded, with each note given 'meaning', when it is, well, just simple background accompaniment.

I haven't got my copy to hand at the moment, but you would very often find metronome marks at the beginning of the book for the speed that Robert Schumann played the pieces and the speed that Clara played them, these often differed quite considerably. Personally I think the G5 marking is about right.

However for the exam, you are far better playing it at a slightly slower speed and getting a really good musical performance than making the whole thing feel rushed.

My copy of Kinderscenen has a metronome mark of crotchet = 108. There is a note at the bottom saying 'Clara = 108; Ed. - c.76'. The AB Teaching Notes state that 'the editor's metronome mark allows the music a natural flow but even a notch or two slower will do no harm.' - ie slower than c. 76 which is what is marked in the current G5 exam book.