Macro Analysis of Robert Schumann s Abschied, from Waldscenen, Op. 82

Transcription

1 Macro Analysis of Robert Schumann s Abschied, from Waldscenen, Op. 82 Allison Hakins 2003 Robert Fountain Memorial Aard Recipient All artists are, to one degree or another, affected by the predecessors in their field. Whether they react adversely or in accordance ith that influence, their products ill sho. Robert Schumann ( ) is one hose art contains clear evidence of influence from previous styles, hich are embodied by particular composers. In Schumann s music, one discovers a descent from J.S. Bach ( ), W. A. Mozart ( ), and Ludig von Beethoven ( ). Schumann has a distinctly Bach-ian ay of pitting melody against melody for marvelous harmonic effect. Mozart s fingerprints are clear in Schumann s use of circle progressions and leading-tone chords to drive his piece forard. And Schumann is earing a hat fashioned after Beethoven s in his manner of diverging from the audience s expectation at the most interesting points. Despite all of this inspired material, Schumann holds his on style and ideas effectively, as can be observed in Abschied, from Waldscenen, Op. 82. This short ork (in English: Fareell ) is the ninth in a set of character pieces depicting scenes from a forest. The spirit of Bach is clearly present in the melodic lines that can be found in all voices throughout the composition, though not in such a condensed manner as the Baroque master ould have ritten. Often these melodic lines are simply stepise motion in the tenor or bass ranges that have an expressive quality as they lean forard into resolution. Schumann as trendy in this aspect of his ork, as the stepise bass line as a popular Romanticera idea. The composer no doubt expected his interpreters to treat it ith emphasis. Notice the ay a singing bass line carries a long soprano note forard in the folloing excerpt from Abschied. 45

2 46 Musical Insights 5 c Eß F b n b b bß F Figure 1. Schumann, Abschied, from Waldscenen, Op. 82, mm Schumann also has a gift for more direct counterpoint. We find ourselves ith to independent melodies, quite diverse, uxtaposed against one another here: 13 m # b n n 15 n C C b b #. F d F b b 3 Eß Eß dø Figure 2. Schumann, Abschied, from Waldscenen, Op. 82, mm The alto voice is a maestic echo of earlier material, colored a sad hue by melodic-minor sevenths and a descending shape. In contrast, the soprano holds a lighter and more fleeting ambiance, moving more quickly

3 The State of Macro-Analytical Research 47 through nonchord-tone pitches. The to melodies move against each other into dissonance only to find resolution at the end of each phrase. Abschied maintains a center in B-flat maor ith a significant amount of emphasis on the dominant, F. Schumann employs a ide array of chromatic chords, but he holds steady ground in traditional harmony. Tonics, subdominants, and dominants abound in the keys of B-flat and F. In fact, diatonic chords fill about eighty percent of the piece. He uses the momentum of the circle of fifths to propel his pieces in a natural ay. It is this adherence to common practice, the meat and potatoes of nineteenth-century music, that calls to mind the influence of W. A. Mozart. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Schumann s association ith the practices of the composers of the past lies in his manner of surprising us in a ay that seems of have been inspired by Beethoven. As the table above shos, Schumann frequently used common, ear-pleasing harmonic progressions, but at times he inserted a bold, chromatic surprise, as in the folloing example. Shortly after no feer than four circle progressions in a ro, he has chosen to chords that are a tritone apart. He even uses stepise motion in the bass to cause his listeners to assume he is headed straight for a first-inversion A-flat maor chord. Instead, he evades our expectations ith an A maor chord, causing a melodic tritone in the bass. Herein lies the special beauty that endears Schumann s listeners to him as a favorite Romantic composer. 26 F G n n n G C b n n b n n * 28. b b # b F F b Figure 3. Schumann, Abschied, from Waldscenen, Op. 82, mm

4 48 Musical Insights 30 b n n n n # Eß (c) Eß Eß A Tritone Relationship (Eß to A) Figure 3, continued. As this movement appears after about tenty minutes of contrasting movements of excitement and beauty, Abschied is indeed a lovely and illustrative fareell. The atmosphere is made melancholy by an abundance of maor and minor sevenths both harmonically and melodically. Schumann also uses further extended harmony and the movement of several chords over a prolonged note in the bass, usually tonic, B-flat. A beautiful incident of tonic prolongation is found in the codetta of this three-minute ork. Having rested on tonic for only one beat, Schumann ould have use believe that he has modulated to the relative G minor, by using E-naturals and C-sharps, hich sound like the dominant of G, folloed by an arpeggio outlining g. Hoever, this minor tonality is offset by the open fifth of B-flat in the bass, hich can be analyzed as a part of the minor chords, but hich actually sounds like a tonic prolongation. Like any bitterseet goodbye, Schumann delays the parting, but smiles back at us ith the final to chords, a peaceful return to B-flat maor. 49 n n # n # n # n # b n & * Figure 4. Schumann, Abschied, from Waldscenen, Op. 82, mm

5 The State of Macro-Analytical Research (g ) Ó g Œ g * g g * Ó Ó Figure 4, continued. A product of the genius of his predecessors and his on innate creativity, Robert Schumann s ancestry is outlined in this example of a nineteenth-century character piece. He is perhaps looking back on the great composers before him, resting on their foundation, but moving forard into progressive Romantic music. A century and a half later, the observer onders hether Schumann realized at the time that his ideas ould one day become inspiration for composers to follo, in the same ay that his musical fathers ere to him.

6 50 Musical Insights Abschied 1 Nicht schnell M.M. q = 80 c Œ p c 3 3 F / aø / 3 F. Eß F / 5 c Eß F b n b b bß F n 7 C F G n n Figure 5. Schumann, Abschied, from Waldscenen, Op. 82

7 The State of Macro-Analytical Research 51 9 n n b n n * G C b n. F 11 Œ p # & F F fƒø g 13 m # b n n 15 n C C b b #. F d F b b 3 Eß Eß dø Figure 5, continued.

8 52 Musical Insights 17 n b n n Eß c F g 19 n J C C b Œ. F Eß/F aø /F F 21. Eß F / 23 c Eß F n b b b bß F Figure 5, continued.

9 The State of Macro-Analytical Research 53 n 25 C n F G n 27 n n b n n * G C b n. F F 29 b b # b b b Eß c Eß Eß 31 n n n n # A J n & n d g F bø Figure 5, continued.

10 54 Musical Insights 33. b n b C F J Eß 35 b n b # n n n Eß G c g a ø 37 n m b. n c C C #. n C n 39 n b. F n b b n bß f b Figure 5, continued.

11 The State of Macro-Analytical Research n # # n b n b n C D g cƒø eø c aø 43 b n b b n n b b # bß F F c fƒø g 45 n b Immer schächer b b C F n bß C 47 n b b b n b n bß cø eø F F Figure 5, continued.

12 56 Musical Insights 49 n n # n # n # n # b n & * 51 (g ) Ó g Œ g * g g * Ó Ó Figure 5, continued.