Whittemore 1 Bradley Whittemore Music History II Prof.

Haefeli November 3, 2013 Follow The Lieder: The Rise Of The German Art Song The Romantic era, a period bursting with new musical affects and feelings, reflected current social beliefs by placing attention on the individual. With this focus, it is not surprising to find out that much of the music-making occurred on an individual level in the home. Individual music making was fostered by cheap editions of music for home use, greater industrialization in the piano-making process, and an increasing middle class, more able to afford a piano for their homes. This new musical habitat left consumers hungry for a manageable yet musical art form to enjoy.1 The art form that developed, meeting their needs, was the Romantic lied. This study will draw on research by lied specialists Elaine Brody, Robert Fowkes, Edward Kravitt, and Anneliese Landau, as well as Schubert scholars such as Eric Sams and Susan Youens. The rise of German poetry in the Romantic era led composers to set intricate accompaniments and vocal lines evoking poetic imagery, such as the prolific Franz Schubert, known for his expressive usage of the piano, creating lieder that were widely accepted by audiences and critics alike. The Romantic lied came to fruition, in part, as a result of earlier composers musical works. In 1781 & 1784, Classical composer Joseph Haydn published two sets of twelve songs each for a close friend. These songs, written for voice and piano, were set to a German text, even though their content, taste, and form were primarily of a French style. The music was written similar to piano music of that time: there were only two staves for notation. The vocal melody would be played at the top of the right hands piano accompaniment, with the melodys text
1

Richard Taruskin, ed., Private Music, The Oxford History of Western Music, vol. 8 (Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2005), p, 63.

Whittemore 2 being placed in between the staves.2 This could certainly be seen as an early developing form of the Romantic lieder style, but it still had some modifications to go through. Ludwig van Beethoven, a composer on the boundary of both the Classical and Romantic periods also wrote songs for voice and piano in a similar style. While some of his earlier works focused on the piano accompaniment rather than the beauty of the vocal line, it still showed movements toward the Romantic lied. For example, the vocal line would often get its own staff, and the keyboards part would increasingly demonstrate the feelings and imagery evoked by the text.3 Another major influence which brought about the Romantic lied is the rise of expressive German poetry in the 19th century. The new poetry being written was not of particular note in its literary merit, but in its emotional tone that it conveyed, blending both higher, reformed styles with lower, simple styles. The central element of these new works, however, was the central theme of personal, individual feeling when faced with strong outside forces, such as nature, history, or society.4 One Romantic poet exalted for his writings was Johann von Goethe. His poems were so well-written that incredibly renowned composers including Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Schubert, Schumann, Wolf, and more, all felt compelled to set them to music.5 The true challenge for composers, however, arose when deciding how to set this expressive text. The highest goal was to express the mood and text of the poetry through the music. Composers went about this task in many different ways. One particular example comes from composer Hans Pfitzner, who when writing his lied Sie haven heut Abend Gesellschaft, sought to evoke the sound of a party being heard from the streets through a closed window. He did so by instructing
2

Anneliese Landau, The Lied: The Unfolding of its Style (Washington, D.C.: University Press of America, 1980), pp. 8-9. 3 Landau, The Lied: The Unfolding of its Style, p. 10. 4 Norbert Bker-Heil, et al., Grove Music Online [Web site], Lied (25 September 2013), Site address: http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/16611 5 Elaine Brody and Robert A. Fowkes, The German Lied and its Poetry (New York: New York University Press, 1971), p. 13.

Whittemore 3 the pianist to play the music of the right hand much softer than that of the left hand, producing the desired sonic effect.6 Franz Schubert, arguably one of the most prolific composers in the field of Romantic lieder, wrote over 600 pieces for voice and piano, each with their own unique character and sound.7 When writing his lieder, Schubert was particularly skillful in how he set the poetry, often slightly varying the melodic content across strophes to bring out certain components of the text. For example, in Du bist die Ruh, Schubert repeats the word erhellt, German for lit, to ensure that the listener can visualize the light in the passage. He also became well-known for his piano accompaniments, often using them to depict scenic surroundings such as the murmur of a brook, the sound of a quail, the tolling of a bell, as well as a spinning wheel.8 Although his piano accompaniments were very original and creative, melodic material sung in a few of his songs may have their origins in Mozarts Zauberflte.9 Examples 2 and 3 below compare melodic passages from two of Schuberts work alongside passages that bear a strong resemblance to melodies in Mozarts Zauberflte.

Example 1: Comparison of Schuberts Geheimes with a passage from Mozarts Die Zauberflte.10 Example 2: Comparison of a passage of Schuberts Heidenrslein to a passage of Mozarts Die Zauberflte.11

6 7

Edward F. Kravitt, The Lied: Mirror of Late Romanticism (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1996), p. 75. Brody and Fowkes, The German Lied and its Poetry, p. 20. 8 Landau, The Lied: The Unfolding of its Style, pp. 19-22. 9 Eric Sams, Notes on a Magic Flute: The Origins of the Schubertian Lied, The Musical Times 119 (November 1978), 947. 10 Ibid, 947. 11 Ibid, 948.

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This has only been observed in a few of Schuberts pieces, but it is interesting to see how earlier works make an impact on his lieder. Schuberts setting of Erlknig, perhaps one of his most well-known songs, exemplifies his use of piano accompaniment. The text of the work tells the story of a father and son on a horse, racing to secure the sons safety, all while a sinister being, visible only to the child, tries to sweetly lull the youngster to go with him. The opening material of the piece, a rapid, forte triplet figure played in the left hand of the piano, is used to evoke the trots of a speeding horse. The minor key of the piece also contributes to the overall mood of the scene, before the text of the situation has even been spoken (Example 3).

Example 3: Measures 1-3 of Erlknig by Franz Schubert.

This rhythmic idea efficiently sets the stage for the rest of the piece, giving the listener a good idea of what is to come.

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While lieder was publicly met with great enjoyment in the home, it was not so quick to take off in the concert hall. With all that it had to offer, its interesting to note that long after string quartets and sonatas were a typical sight at a concert hall, the lied was still struggling with being seen as an equal genre.12 Its acceptance in the concert hall can be seen in three general periods, the first occurring from about 1800-1830. During this time, lied was rarely performed in a concert hall setting. Partially at fault is the nature of the still developing public concert, consisting of primarily unrelated works. Lied did, however, flourish in the home, where it was enjoyed by amateurs, as well as cultivated citizens. The second period, ranging from 1830 to 1875, saw the arrival of lied in concert halls. While still not a major attraction, singers like the celebrated baritone Julius Stockhausen brought entire song cycles worth of lieder to the stage, for example, Schuberts Die schne Mllerin. Musical critic Eduard Hanslick commented on these performances, noting the fact that he performed a cycle of works instead of various pieces with no connection. He further commented that while it was enjoyable, that the performance of an entire song cycle could become monotonous, as well as physically demanding due to the endurance required by the performer. Regardless of critics opinions, audiences still gave strong ovations in almost every city. The third period, ranging from 1875 to the end of the Romantic era, saw the lied become a staple of the performance hall. Singers frequently gave performances
12

Edward F. Kravitt, The Lied in 19th-Century Life, Journal of the American Musicological Society 18, No. 2 (Summer, 1965), 207.

Whittemore 6 of lied, and were met with great applause by all who came to see them.13 Along with their impact on the audiences listening, Romantic lieder continued to leave its impact in later music. One particular example is Gustav Mahlers first song cycle, Lieder wines fahrenden Gesellen, which seems to have been written in response to Schuberts Winterreise song cycle. While Mahler himself never recognized this connection, the two works tell the story of a solitary, journeying man stricken by fate traveling wherever the road will lead him, longing for death. Mahlers cycle even features a linden tree, which is the focus of a movement of Schuberts Winterreise.14 The fact that Mahler used themes from an earlier work of Schuberts lied paired with the performance of lied to this day demonstrate how the genre has left a lasting impact on the musical culture. Many factors contributed to the creation of the German art song in the Romantic era. The developments of earlier composers started the model of what lied would become, expressively setting German texts for voice and piano. This was amplified when poets, influenced by the age around them, began to write increasingly emotional works, almost beckoning composers to set them with greater expression. Franz Schubert, a master at this task, emerged as a prolific composer of Romantic lied, known for his hundreds of unique, beautiful works. These songs, while immediately admired in private performance at home, took a while to become standard repertoire in a concert hall setting. Once they did, however, crowds and critics alike shared in the enjoyment of the songs rich, emotional content. During the Romantic era, the lied blossomed from a lesser-known genre to one that could sell out concert halls and can still be heard today, showing the long-lasting effects of the work contributed by the composers and poets that led to the genres formation.

13 14

Ibid, 208-212. Susan Youens, Schubert, Mahler and the Weight of the Past: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen and Winterreise, Music & Letters 67, No. 3 (July 1986), 257-258.

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Whittemore 8 Works Cited Brody, Elaine, and Robert A. Fowkes. The German Lied and Its Poetry. New York: New York University Press, 1971. 316 p. Kravitt, Edward F.. The Lied: Mirror of Late Romanticism. New York: Yale University Press, 1996. 323 p. Kravitt, Edward F.. The Lied in 19th-Century Concert Life. Journal of the American Musicological Society 18, no. 2 (Summer, 1965), 207-218. JSTOR. 29 September 2013, http://www.jstor.org Landau, Anneliese. The Lied: The Unfolding of Its Style. Washington D.C.: University Press of America, 1980. 138 p. Norbert Bker-Heil, et al. Lied. Grove Music Online. 25 September 2013. http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/16611. Sams, Eric. Notes on a Magic Flute: The Origins of the Schubertian Lied. The Musical Times 119, no.1629 (Nov., 1978), 947-949. JSTOR. 26 September 2013, http://www.jstor.org Schubert, Franz. Erlknig. 200 Songs in Three Volumes for Voice and Piano; ed. Sergius Kagen. New York: International Music Co., 1961. 269 p. Truskin, Richard. Private Music. The Oxford History of Western Music. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. Vol. 3, p. 63. Youens, Susan. Schubert, Mahler and the Weight of the Past: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen and Winterreise. Music & Letters 67, no.3 (Jul., 1986), 256-268. JSTOR. 29 September 2013, http://www.jstor.org