The Carnaval owes its origin to a coincidence and is always except three or four pieces constructed essentially on the notes A S C H, the name of a Bohemain town in which I ad a musical lady-friend, and oddly enough, the only musical letters i n my name. I gave them the titles later.
(Robert Schumann to Ignaz Moscheles, September 22, 1838)

The present edition is based on the music text of the Gesamtausgabe of Robert Schumanns works, edited by Clara Schumann together with Johannes Brahms and others between 1879 und 1893. This publication is almost entirely free from arbitrary alterations in the text. A few obvious errors were eliminated after a thorough comparison with the first edition.