I am writing of the Grade 6 B List (2013-14) piece from Scenes From Childhood. I have to confess that I have never "got" this piece at all - it doesn't sound at all frightening to me. I have just played it for a student and they didn't think it sounded frightening either.

Maybe it's just me......

I hope there's some German speakers here who can advise, but I'm wondering if the title means 'Taking by surprise' or 'Making them jump' rather than 'Terrifying'. Something along the lines of Haydn's Surprise symphony.

I've had a listen to a few recordings (Spotify is so useful for situations such as this!), and there's a wide variety of approaches to the Schneller passages. Some, such as Argerich, just go past in a blur. Others bring out the articulation, such as the unexpected accents at the ends of phrases (I'm only looking at an IMSLP copy here, so apologies if it's different in the ABRSM edition).

The Pires recording perhaps has the most effective contrasts between sections of those I've listened to: imagine using the piece with children, getting them to move in a way suggested by the music, and how you'd want them to flow with the main theme, and suddenly change for the interjecting sections.

I think it can be frightening if it's played effectively. I think of the opening pp section as someone wandering cautiously through a house, knowing that Something is there; the piu mosso section is where the suspense is raised (think semiquaver right-hand chords = rapid heartbeat!) then the crisis is temporarily over before the next piu mosso section. This is where the drama really happens, and the sforzando chords might be thought of as facing the fear head on. At Tempo I, things calm down a bit, but with the blip at bar 37 (has It really gone?) then the resolution right at the end = safety. Just my interpretation.

I would add that I tend to play it a bit slower than the recommended speed for effect, but yes, with a good dynamic range it can be frightening. I think it's a wonderful, very evocative piece.

I had a similar thought. I was 'showing' it to a likely-2013-grade-6 pupil a couple of weeks ago, and I think I said that I felt it was amusing-scary rather than terrifying-scary.

I gave the example (off the top of my head, so not a particularly good one) of hearing footsteps behind - and then finding it's your best friend. Or maybe that game where the one who's 'it' turns their back, and the rest of the players have to reach 'it' by a mix of stealth and speed - but can only move as long as they aren't spotted. I forget the name of the game!

I think it's wonderful too, and I'm looking forward to exploring it with students.

We call it Grandmother's footsteps.

Yes I agree with this, play the first part pp, then a really go for 'piu mosso' and louder too.
This piece compares with Haunted Spot, no 3 in his 9 piece 'Waldscenen' suite, though here there is no 'piu moss' but a sinister tune coming in the bass line.

Later edit, correction Haunted Spot is no 4 in Wladscenen , after Solitary Flowers.

No, it really does mean "frightening" or to be more precise and literal, to "make fear":

Furchten - Fear
machen - make

I think you can make the piece pretty frightening with the right combination of speed, touch, articulation and dynamic contrasts.