Many of Schumann's well-known piano pieces were written in his twenties, but Waldszenen (Forest Scenes) was composed from late 1848 to the following year, after a prolific period of lieder and chamber music. It took approximately one month to complete. It was his first piano work in a full ten years.

Compared to his earlier piano works, the connection between literature and music seems to have deepened. It is said that each piece was composed with the 'forest' depicted by Romantic poets as its motif, and originally, poems were intended to be appended as mottos for each piece. However, upon publication, only the fourth piece, 'Verrufene Stelle' (Haunted Place), was accompanied by a poem by Friedrich Hebbel. For German Romantic writers, especially poets, the 'forest' seems to have held diverse connotations such as tranquility, vitality, mystery, and longing.

1. Eintritt (Entrance)

B-flat major, 4/4 time, Not too fast

A piece that begins brightly but reveals a contrast between light and shadow. The melody is sung in various registers: high, inner, and low voices.

2. Jäger auf der Lauer (Hunter in Ambush)

D minor, 4/4 time, Very lively

A piece that, in contrast to 'Eintritt,' maintains an intense character throughout. Sections where both hands play in unison are effectively inserted.

3. Einsame Blumen (Lonely Flowers)

B-flat major, 2/4 time, Simple

The melody traces curves, moving up and down as if pleading. The simple accompaniment greatly enhances this melody.

4. Verrufene Stelle (Haunted Place)

D minor, 4/4 time, Very slowly

As mentioned earlier, only this piece is prefaced by a poem. Its content is eerie (In the forest where light does not reach, tall flowers are pale. Even a single red flower is not red from sunlight, but from the color of the earth, red from absorbed human blood).

Polyphonic writing is employed. Similar to the poem's content, the piece has an eerie atmosphere. This atmosphere is derived from various elements, including rhythms that utilize rests, the melody, and the polyphonic writing.

5. Freundliche Landschaft (Friendly Landscape)

B-flat major, 2/4 time, Fast

A piece that frequently uses triplets. Within it, the occasional eighth notes bring about changes in phrasing.

6. Herberge (Inn)

E-flat major, 4/4 time, Moderately

The melody, primarily sung in the high voice, occasionally shifts to the middle and low registers, suggesting a conversation. The melody itself, both in its melodic contour and rhythm, is characterized by cadences that resemble speech.

7. Vogel als Prophet (Bird as Prophet)

G minor, 4/4 time, Slowly, very gently

Arpeggiated chords containing chromatic notes move up and down in a dotted rhythm. In the middle of the piece, a brief chorale-like passage appears. The entire piece is filled with chromatic movement.

8. Jagdlied (Hunting Song)

E-flat major, 6/8 time, Rapidly, powerfully

A piece with a heroic character, yet also conveying a sense of melancholy. While much of this piece, in 6/8 time, divides the dotted quarter note into three subdivisions, sections that divide it into two are effectively placed near the end of the piece.

9. Abschied (Farewell)

B-flat major, 4/4 time, Not too fast

It has a simple structure with a melody that interweaves stepwise and disjunct motion, accompanied by chords. However, even within this simplicity, the inner voices and harmony evoke a contemplative quality. The entire collection concludes by placing the third of the tonic chord in the high register, leaving behind a sound like an 'illusion'.