Robert Schumann's passion for both literature and music found no better place for a combined expression than in his many Lieder. Whereas Schubert before him had elevated the Lied to a serious art form, Schumann greatly expanded its emotional breadth leading, ultimately, to its highest perfection in Johannes Brahms. Among Schumann's Lieder output, Dichterliebe ("The Poet's Love"), op. 48 remains his most well-known cycle.
Composed in 1840, the sixteen songs of Dichterliebe come from Heinrich Heine's Lyrisches Intermezzo, written in 1822-23, and published as a part of his Das Buch der Lieder ("Book of Songs"). Lyrisches Intermezzo consists of a Prologue and sixty-five poems and tells the story of a lonely knight that sits in his house during the day but, at night, is visited by his fairy bride. He dances with her until the sun rises in the morning and he is returned to his room, once again alone. Ultimately, the knight determines to put his love and suffering into a coffin which twelve giants will cast into the sea.
Schumann's settings of Heine's poems are quite remarkable both from a compositional standpoint as well as in his sensitivity to the emotional quality of the poems. For example, the first song, Im wunderschönen Monat Mai, Schumann ends the song with a dominant seventh in F-sharp minor, indicative of the longing (Verlangen) expressed in the poem, then, quite remarkably picks up the succeeding song in A major! In places, Schumann treats Heine's original text quite freely, often making changes to it either in repeating a line or even so far as a complete rewording so as to achieve the desired cadence.
Dichterliebe shows Schumann reaching the height of his powers as a composer, both in technique and expression and rightly deserves its position as one of the most popular song cycles in classical music.
Classical Music | Tenor
Robert Schumann
Im wunderschönen Monat Mai, from Dichterlieber Play
Recorded on 02/02/2000, uploaded on 03/24/2009
Musician's or Publisher's Notes
Dichterliebe, op. 48 Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann's passion for both literature and music found no better place for a combined expression than in his many Lieder. Whereas Schubert before him had elevated the Lied to a serious art form, Schumann greatly expanded its emotional breadth leading, ultimately, to its highest perfection in Johannes Brahms. Among Schumann's Lieder output, Dichterliebe ("The Poet's Love"), op. 48 remains his most well-known cycle.
Composed in 1840, the sixteen songs of Dichterliebe come from Heinrich Heine's Lyrisches Intermezzo, written in 1822-23, and published as a part of his Das Buch der Lieder ("Book of Songs"). Lyrisches Intermezzo consists of a Prologue and sixty-five poems and tells the story of a lonely knight that sits in his house during the day but, at night, is visited by his fairy bride. He dances with her until the sun rises in the morning and he is returned to his room, once again alone. Ultimately, the knight determines to put his love and suffering into a coffin which twelve giants will cast into the sea.
Schumann's settings of Heine's poems are quite remarkable both from a compositional standpoint as well as in his sensitivity to the emotional quality of the poems. For example, the first song, Im wunderschönen Monat Mai, Schumann ends the song with a dominant seventh in F-sharp minor, indicative of the longing (Verlangen) expressed in the poem, then, quite remarkably picks up the succeeding song in A major! In places, Schumann treats Heine's original text quite freely, often making changes to it either in repeating a line or even so far as a complete rewording so as to achieve the desired cadence.
Dichterliebe shows Schumann reaching the height of his powers as a composer, both in technique and expression and rightly deserves its position as one of the most popular song cycles in classical music.
Joseph DuBose
More music by Robert Schumann
Maerchenbilder for viola and piano - I mov, op.113
Wehmuth, from Liederkreis, Op. 39
Novellette no. 6 in A Major: Sehr lebhaft mit vielem Humor, from Novelletten, Op. 21
Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt, from Lieder und Gesänge aus Wilhelm Meister
Intermezzo
Carnaval, Op. 9
Adagio and Allegro, Op. 70
Presto Passionato in g minor, Op. 22a
Sonata No. 1 for Violin and Piano in A minor, Op. 105
Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Op. 26 (Carnival of Vienna)
Performances by same musician(s)
Go, Lovely Rose
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
Du bist die Ruh
Sfogava con le stelle
You're Tired Chile (arr. Hayes)
Aus Meinen Tranen Spriessen, from Dichterlieber
Adieu
Lasciatemi Morire
Ah! Mes Amis, from "La Fille du Régiment
Where'er You Walk
Classical Music for the Internet Era™
Courtesy of International Music Foundation.