Chapter 16

Romantic Songs
No one understands anothers grief, no one
understands anothers joy. . . . My music is a
product of my talent and my misery. And that
which I have written in my greatest distress is
what the world seems to like best.
Franz Schubert

The Salon
Industrial Revolution created large middle class
Piano became common household item
Family members would perform in informal

concerts
Concertsknown as salonsfollowed by
dessert, coffee and tea, and conversation
Upper class catered events, similar to earlier
patronage by Esterhzy family and others,
professional musicians hired

The Art Song

Salon settings featured solo works for piano

and art songs

Art song: musical setting of a poem for solo
voice and piano
German lied (lieder) became standard term
because many were written by German and
Austrian composers in German language
Strophic and through-composed settings used
Modified-strophic setting also developed
some verses repeated music, others didnt

Franz Schubert
(1797-1828)
Born in Vienna
northwest suburb
father was school teacher
Unsystematic musical training
violin lessons from father
piano lessons from older brother
1808, choir member of Imperial Court Chapel

attended prestigious City Seminary

violinist in school orchestra, later conducted
Began composing while at Seminary:
songs, religious works, six string quartets

Franz Schubert (cont.)

(1797-1828)
1813, composed first symphony
Returned home after attending college for

primary-school teachers
Taught briefly at fathers school
Not suited to school teaching
1817, returned to Vienna
Resolved to make a living composing and
teaching lessons
1822, serious illness required hospital stay
Last four years of life were constant struggle
Died in 1828
Buried near Beethoven as he wished

Schuberts Music
Between 1811 and 1828 composed

about one thousand works

9 symphonies
50 chamber works and piano sonatas
Operas and operettas
Six masses and other religious works
c. 100 choral works
600+ lieder

Listening Guide: Erlknig (King of the Elves)

Franz Schubert
Composed in 1815
Through-composed
Text calls for soloist to take on the roles of

Narrator, medium range, steady

Father, low range
Son, high range, terrified
Elf king, high, soft, and gentle at first
Pitch range, dynamics, and style of melody
reinforce characterization
Piano depicts incessant pounding of horses
hooves

Listening Guide: Erlknig (King of the Elves)

Franz Schubert
German text:
Narrator

Father
Son
Father
Elf King

Wer reitet so spt durch Nacht und Wind?

Est ist der Vater mit seinem Kind.
Er hat den Knaben wohl in dem Arm
Er fat in sicher, er hlt ihn warm.
Mein Sohn, was birgst du so band dein
Gesicht?
Siehst, Vater, du den Erlknig nicht?
Den Erlenknig, mit Kron und Schweif?
Mein Sohn, es ist ein Nebelstreif.
Du liebes Kind, komm geh mit mir!
Gar schne Spiele spiel Ich mit dir;
Manch bunte Blumen sind am die Strand,
Meine Mutter hat manch gulden Gewand.

Listening Guide: Erlknig (King of the Elves)

Franz Schubert
Son
Father
Elf King

Son

Mein Vater, mein Vater, und hrest du nicht,

Was Erlenknig mir leise verspricht?
Sei ruhig, bleibe ruhig mein Kind;
In durren Blttern suselt der Wind.
Willst, feiner Knabe, mit mir gehn?
Meine Tchter sollen dich warten schn;
Meine Tchter fhren den nchtlichen
Reihn
Und weigen und tanzen und singen
dich ein.
Mein Vater, mein Vater, und siehst du
nich dort
Erlknigs Tchter am dstern Ort?

Listening Guide: Erlknig (King of the Elves)

Franz Schubert
Father
Elf King

Son

Narrator

Mein Sohn, mein Sohn, ich she est genau;

Es scheinen die alten Weiden so grau.
Ich liebe dich, mich reizt deine schne
Gestalt;
Und bist du nicht willing so brauch ich
Gewalt.
Mein Vater, mein Vater, jetzt fast er mich
an!
Erlknig hat mir ein Leids gethan!
Der Vater grausets er reitet gescwhind
Er halt in der Armen des achzende Kind,
Erreicht den Hof mit Mh und Not;
In seinem Arm das Kind war tot.

Robert and Clara Schumann

Robert born in Zwichau, Germany, 1810
Son of writer, publisher, bookseller
Studied music as child but entered law school
Gave up study of law for music
1830, took piano lessons from Friedrich Wieck
Wieck had daughter, Clara, born in 1820
She was being trained as piano virtuoso, had

already performed many times in Leipzig; would

give concerts throughout Europe over next 2
years
Clara was also a composer

Robert and Clara Schumann

(cont.)
Clara and Robert became friends
She asked his help in orchestrating her Piano

Concerto in A Minor
Concerto premiered November, 1835, Felix
Mendelssohn conducting the Gewandhaus
orchestra
By 1832, Schumann gave up performing and
Clara became interpreter of his music
1834, Schumann founder and editor of Neue
Zeitschrift fr Musik (New Journal of Music)
Friendship between Robert and Clara turned to
love

Robert and Clara Schumann

(concluded)
Married in 1840 over objections of father
That year became year of song because of all

the love songs Robert composed

Although they had large family (8 children),
Clara continued to perform, he to compose
Robert began experiencing bouts of depression
Attempted suicide in 1854
Was placed in an asylum for last two years of
life, died at age 46
Clara continued to perform his music; she died
in 1896 at age 76

Listening Guide: Im wunderschnen Monat Mai

(In the Wonderfully Lovely Month of May)
Robert Schumann
Composed in 1840
One of songs in song cycle,

Dichterliebe (A Poets Love)

Uses rubato as expressive device

Means robbed time

Fluctuations of tempo occur

Final chord does not sound completely

final because song is intended to lead

into next song in cycle

Listening Guide: Im wunderschnen Monat Mai

(In the Wonderfully Lovely Month of May)
Robert Schumann
German text:
Im wunderschnen Monat Mai,
Als alle Knospen sprangen,
Da ist in meinem Herzen
Die Liebe auf gegangen.
Im wunderschnen Monat Mai,
Als alle Vgel sangen,
Da hab ich ihe gestanden
Mein Sehnen und Verlangen.