Naturszenen Op. 3, No. 4

A flickering light just off the path seems to beckon you to follow, but the stories warn of following these strange apparitions. Sometimes they are just mischievous, but other tales tell of a much darker end for those that deviate from the trail. In this Nature Scene the left hand sets forth a rhythmic pattern that is unwavering throughout the first third of the piece and carried on in the melody. The downward rolled chords in the right hand lend a haunting quality to the melody as it winds its way above. There is a change in feel when the melody becomes more melismatic and hypnotic as though the ghostly figure is becoming more insistent. With the return of the original rhythmic motif from the beginning the melody is now harmonized as the apparition is joined by its brethren in leading the unwary traveller to whatever fate awaits.