robert schumann’s self- fulfilling prophecy
TRANSCRIPT
DanikaLocey
OregonStateUniversity|MusicHistoryWinter2016
FrauenliebeundLeben:RobertSchumann’sSelf-FulfillingProphecy
2
Abstract
ThebasisofthisresearchpaperistheworkofRobertSchumann,particularlyhis
liedercycleFrauenliebeundLeben,andhowitpredictedtheconditionsandeventsof
RobertandClaraSchumann’smarriage.
IwilldiscussSchumann’scompositionofFrauenliebeundLebeninthecontextofhis
relationshipwithClara.IwillalsoanalyzeChamisso’spoetryandSchumann’sdecisionto
useitinthiscycle.TheprocessofRobertandClaramarryingwasparticularlydifficult
becauseofClara’sfather,andIwillstudytheircorrespondencearoundthetimeof
FrauenliebeundLeben’scompositiontofurthermyunderstandingofthesituationasa
whole.
Intermsoftheirworkpost-marriageIwilldiscussClara’stransformationfroma
musiciantoawifeandmother;whileshestillcomposedandperformed,shewasforcedto
bemainlyawife,amother,andanadmirerofRobert’swork..Someemphasiswillbegiven
togenderrolesinnineteenth-centuryGermanmarriages,whichwasillustratedboth
throughthetextsusedinFrauenliebeundLebenandinClara’sroleintheSchumann
household.
IaminterestedinthistopicbecauseIamlearningtheFrauenliebeundLebencycleformy
upcomingvoicerecitalandIwanttolearnmoreaboutit.Ialsoamfascinatedwiththeidea
oftwoactivecomposersmarryingandhavingafamilytogether.Mygoalwiththisresearch
paperistogainadeepunderstandingofthesongcycleasawholeandgraspitsplacein
RobertandClaraSchumann’slivesandcompositions.
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FrauenliebeundLeben:RobertSchumann’sself-fulfillingprophecy
1840wasaneventfulyearinthelifeofLeipzig-basedcomposerRobertSchumann.
Dubbed“theYearofSong,”avastmajorityofhiscompositionsofthisyearwereLieder,
oftenonthetopicofloveandmarriage.Coincidentally,1840wasalsotheyearinwhich
RobertmarriedClaraWieckafteropposingherfatherincourtinordertoreceiveherhand
inmarriage.Becausethesetwoimportantideasoverlapped,manyofSchumann’sLieder
relatedirectlytohismarriage.Hischoiceofpoetryidealizedthatgeneration’sviewof
women:theyweretreatedaschild-bearers,child-raisers,housekeepers,andservantsof
theirhusbands.RobertSchumannexemplifiesthissocietalstanceinFrauenliebeund
Leben,or“AWoman’sLifeandLove.”
SchumanncomposedthiscycleinJulyof1840,justtwomonthsbeforehisand
Clara’swedding,andsoonaftertheirweddingClarafoundherselfabandoningherlifeasa
composerinfavorofbecomingadevotedwife.Thiscycle,whichchroniclesawoman’slife
asalover,wife,andmother,heldgreatpersonalsignificanceforRobert,whowasnearing
theendofalegalbattleagainstFriedrichWieckforClara’shandinmarriage1.Withallof
theculturalparallelspresent.Robert’sdecisiontosetthisparticularsetofpoemstosong,
especiallysoclosetohismarriage,showsthathesharedthesameideasofwomen
promotedbynineteenth-centuryGermanculture.Therefore,FrauenliebeundLeben
ultimatelyservedasaself-fulfillingprophecy,accuratelypredictingthedynamicsofthe
Schumanns’marriageandClara’ssuccessasamusician.
1JoanChissell,ClaraSchumann,aDedicatedSpirit:AStudyofHerLifeandWork(London:H.Hamilton,1983),72.
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ThetextofFrauenliebeundLebencomesfromasetofpoemsbyAldebertvon
Chamisso,aBerlin-basednineteenth-centurypoetandwriterknownforhiswritingsabout
theGermanmiddleclass2.Chamisso’sgoalwithFrauenliebe,aswithmuchofhisother
work,wastorepresentmiddle-classGermanwomenofthemid-nineteenthcentury.Itwas
thefirstofthefivepoemcyclesChamissopublishedinundertwoyearsthatrelateddirectly
tothedynamicsofmarriageandfamilylife.3Hisviewsofwomenasthetimeweresimilar
tothecommonbeliefthatwomenwerethepropertyandsubordinatesoftheirhusbands.In
hisLebeensliederundBilder,Chamissochoosestohavethehusbandinthestoryrefertohis
wifeas“meinsüssesEigentum,”translatedto“mysweetpropertyorpossession,4”which
furtheredtheideathatwomenweretobesubmissivetotheirspouses.RufusHallmark
statesthatthispoeticcycle“embodiestheage’sstereotypedconceptionofwomanhoodas
subservientwifeandmother,5”andheisnottheonlyscholartoholdthissentiment.JackM.
SteinofHarvardreferstoChamisso’spoemsas“mediocre,”thoughhedescribes
Schumann’ssettingofitashis“greatestachievementinsong.6”ElissaS.Guralnickstates,
quitesimply,“Gloriousmusic,ridiculouswords.7”Thoughthiscyclewasnotparticularly
well-received,itwassetsixtytimesinthenineteenthcenturyalone,8threeofthosetimes
occurringwithinayearofthecycle’screation.9
2RufusE.Hallmark,FrauenliebeUndLeben:Chamisso'sPoemsandSchumann'sSongs(Cambridge,UK:CambridgeUniversityPress,2014),7.3RufusE.Hallmark,FrauenliebeUndLeben:Chamisso'sPoemsandSchumann'sSongs(Cambridge,UK:CambridgeUniversityPress,2014),111.4Hallmark,FrauenliebeUndLeben,12.5RufusE.Hallmark,GermanLiederintheNineteenthCentury(NewYork:SchirmerBooks,1996),79.6JackM.Stein,PoemandMusicintheGermanLiedfromGlucktoHugoWolf(Cambridge,Mass:HarvardUniversityPress,1971),119.7ElissaS.Guralnick,“'AhClara,IAmNotWorthyofYourLove':Rereading'FrauenliebeUndLeben',thePoetryandtheMusic”(Music&Letters87(4).OxfordUniversityPress:580–605,2006),580.8Hallmark,FrauenliebeUndLeben,239-40.9Hallmark,FrauenliebeUndLeben,111.
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Schumann’ssettingofFrauenliebeundLebenutilizeseightoftheninepoems
Chamissooriginallywroteforthecycle,eachcorrespondingtopivotalmomentsinayoung
woman’slife.Thefirstsong,titledSeitichihngesehen(or“WhenIfirstsawhim”),isa
simpleandquaintbeginningtothecycle,tellingofthewoman’sfirstcontactwiththeman
sheloves.Schumannutilizessimple,approachablerhythmsinboththevocallineandthe
pianoaccompaniment,bothofwhichhighlighthisideaofademureandlowlyyoung
woman.10Thesimpleand
delicatepianoaccompaniment
depictsthebarewonder
involvedinfirstloves,asseen
inFigure111.Thefirstlineoftext,translatedtoEnglish,states,“SinceIfirstsaw
him,Ibelievemyselfblind,12”whichconveyshersenseofaweatcomingacrossamanso
majestic.Thesecondstanzastates,“Otherwiseeverythingaroundmeiswithoutlightand
color,Playinggameswithmysistersisnolongermydesire…,13”implyingthatthoughshe
hardlyknewthisman,whohadsoquicklygainedherlove,shewasreadytoabandonthe
lifesheknewalready.Schumann’splacementofaritardover“begehr’ichmehr”(...isno
longermydesire)suggestsaresignationtowardalifewithouthernewfoundlove.
TheendofSeitichihngesehenisabruptlymetwiththeblockyandmajestic
introductiontoEr,derHerrlichstevonAllen.Translatedto“He,themostmarvelousofall,”
thissongisacontinuationoftheinfatuationfoundintheprevioussong,portrayingthe
objectofthewoman’saffectionasmarvelousandworthyofthebestinlife.Describedasa
10GeraldMoore,Poet'sLove:TheSongsandCyclesofSchumann(NewYork:TaplingerPub.,1981),25.11RobertSchumann.FrauenliebeundLeben,Op.42.Leipzig:VerlagvonBeritkopf&Härtel,1885.12Hallmark,FrauenliebeUndLeben,242.13Hallmark,FrauenliebeUndLebe,242.
Figure1
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“protestationoflove,14”thissongservesasabolderandunrestraineddeclarationofthe
woman’saffectiontowardthemanshehardlyknows.Overthecourseofthesong,
ChamissofrequentlyreferencesHeavenandprayers,implyinganalmostworshipful
admirationoftheman.
ElissaS.Guralnick
describesthewoman’s
voiceinthispoemas
having“amplestrengthof
character,”15whichis
particularlyevidentin
Schumann’susageofrhythmicallydrivenmelodyandaccompaniment,aswellasthe
tendencytodwellonarpeggiationofthetonicE-flatchordinthevoice.Hisuseofconstant
chordsintheaccompaniment,picturedinFigure2,depicttheideaofstrengthand
masculinity,servingasasteadycounterparttothewhimsicalandoverlyromantictext16.
Ichkann’snichtfassen,nichtglaubentakesonamuchmorefrenziedtone,asthe
womanhasnowlearned
thatthemanlovesheras
well.Chamissobringsback
theideaofthe“dream”from
thefirstsong,asthewomaninsistsshemustbedreamingofthemanlovingherinreturn.
Theaccompanimenttothissongisheavilypunctuated,emphasizingimportantnotesand
14GeraldMoore,Poet'sLove:TheSongsandCyclesofSchumann(NewYork:TaplingerPub.,1981),25.15ElissaS.Guralnick,“'AhClara,IAmNotWorthyofYourLove':Rereading'FrauenliebeUndLeben',thePoetryandtheMusic”(Music&Letters87(4).OxfordUniversityPress:580–605,2006),580.16Schumann,FrauenliebeundLeben.
Figure2
Figure3
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words(seeFigure317).Schumannutilizedvocalornamentsandritardandostohighlight
importantwordsandphrases,suchasberückt(meaning“beguiled”)andEskannjanimmer
sosein(meaning“Itcannoteverbeso”).18HeendsthesongwithaPicardyThird,whichin
thiscaseisasimpleCMajorchord,reflectingthewoman’ssimpleinnocence.
DuRinganmeinemFingerisacelebrationofthewoman’snewfoundengagementto
themanshelovessodearly.
Regardedbysomecriticsas
“strictlysentimental,19”this
isthemostwidely-
recognizedsongfromthe
cycle.Thissongismuch
moreharmonically
straightforwardthanthe
others,asitstayswithin
standardchordstructuresandprogressions,utilizingsubtleandeasily-flowing
chromaticismforvariety,asseeninFigure420.Schumannchosetomirrorthemelodyin
theaccompanimentinordertoaddextraemphasistothesweetandrelativelysimple
melody,asseeninFigure321.RufusHallmarkdescribesthefourthstanzaofthispoemas
“themostsexist”andalso“themostsexual”passagesintheentirecycle22.Itreads:
17Schumann,FrauenliebeundLeben.18Hallmark,FrauenliebeUndLeben,243.19GeraldMoore,Poet'sLove:TheSongsandCyclesofSchumann(NewYork:TaplingerPub.,1981),29.20Schumann,FrauenliebeundLeben.21Schumann,FrauenliebeundLeben.22Hallmark,FrauenliebeUndLeben,200.
Figure4
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“Ishallservehim,liveforhim,
Belongmyselfwhollytohim,
Givemyselfovertohimandfind
Myselftransfiguredbyhislight.23”
Thesociallyproblematicportionisthefirsttwolines,inwhichthewomanexpressesher
desiretoserveandbelongtotheman.Theideaofservingandbelongingtoamanis
directlyconcurrentwiththeculturalideasofthetime,ithaslostculturalrelevancewith
theprogressofwomen’srightsandgenderequalityinWesternculture.Thepotentially
eroticportionisthesecondhalfofthestanza,whichimpliesthewoman’slongingtobe
physicallyintimatewithherlover.Inatimewhereawoman’ssexualdesireswere
consideredalowerprioritythanthoseofherhusband,Chamisso’schoicetoincludethis
innuendowasquitebold.SchumannreflectedChamisso’sboldnessbymakingthisstanza
musicallydifferentfromtheothers:incontrasttothepleasantandpredictablemovement
inthebeginning,withsimpleE-flatharmonicprogressionandlightaccompaniment,this
sectionpicksupintempo,incorporatinglargeleapsinthevocallineandthesameconstant
chordsfoundintheaccompanimentofEr,derHerrlichstevonAllen.
Helftmir,ihrSchwestern,characterizedbyitsnervousenergyandloyaltytothetonic
chord,chroniclesthewoman’s“excitementandtimidanticipation24”whilegettingready
forherweddingandenlistinghersistersforhelp.Thissonginparticularisheavyin
symbolism:GeraldMoorehypothesizedthat“archingarpeggiosseemtosignifythegraceful
curvesofthebride’strain,25whileElissaS.Guralnickdecidedthatthe“throbbinginthe
23Hallmark,FrauenliebeUndLeben,244.24JackM.Stein,PoemandMusicintheGermanLiedfromGlucktoHugoWolf(Cambridge,Mass:HarvardUniversityPress,1971),120.25GeraldMoore,Poet'sLove:TheSongsandCyclesofSchumann(NewYork:TaplingerPub.,1981),31.
9
treble…bespeaks[theman’s]persistentapprehension.26”RufusHallmarkcitesSchumann’s
settingofthispoemashaving“overallpsychologicalaptnessasanexpressionofthebride’s
nervoustension,27”whichis
evidentinthefrenziedand
frantictextandtempo28.This
songendswitharegaland
confidentmarch,meantto
resembletheweddingmarch
playingasthewomanwalkeddowntheaisle.
Thenextsong,SüßerFreund,chroniclesthewomantellingherhusbandthatsheis
expectinghischild.
Chamisso’sword
choiceinthissong
particularlyimpliesa
sortofemancipationonbehalfofthewoman;sincesheistomotherachild,thewoman
nowfeelslikesheisherownperson.29Schumannoffersahumbleandyetagainsparse
accompanimentpairedwithaheavilydottedvocallinecharacterizedbyadiminished
fourthinterval,seeninFigure630.InSchumann’ssettinghechosetoleaveoutthethird
stanzaofChamisso’soriginalpoem,whichtoldofthewomanlearningaboutmotherhood
26ElissaS.Guralnick,“'AhClara,IAmNotWorthyofYourLove':Rereading'FrauenliebeUndLeben',thePoetryandtheMusic”(Music&Letters87(4).OxfordUniversityPress:580–605,2006),598.27Hallmark,FrauenliebeUndLeben,211.28Schumann,FrauenliebeundLeben.29ElissaS.Guralnick,“'AhClara,IAmNotWorthyofYourLove':Rereading'FrauenliebeUndLeben',thePoetryandtheMusic”(Music&Letters87(4).OxfordUniversityPress:580–605,2006),583.30Schumann,FrauenliebeundLeben.
Figure5
Figure6
10
fromherownmother.31Therearemanypossibleexplanationsforthisomission,onebeing
thatSchumannsimplydidnotwantthemelodytobecomeoverlyrepetitive.Anotherideais
thatheleftoutthisparticularstanzabecauseitdidnotinvolvethemandirectly.
ThedelicateendingtoSüßerFreundisquicklyreplacedwiththesweeping
arpeggiationandjollymelodyofAnmeinemHerzen,inwhichthewomanandherhusband
rejoiceinthebirthoftheirchild.Describedas“theonejubilantsonginthecycle,32”this
songportraysthemother’spurejoyinbecomingamother.TowardtheendChamisso
wrote“Oh,howIpitythemanwhocannotfeelamother’sbliss!33”whichshowsthatthe
womannowfeelsevenmoreindependentandconfidentonherown.
Unfortunatelyfortheprotagonist,thejubilanceoftheprevioussongisfleeting.In
NunhastdumirdenerstenSchmerzgetan,thefinalsonginSchumann’scycle,tellsofthe
firstsadnessthewoman’s
husbandhascausedher:he
hasfalleninto“thesleepof
death.34”However,
Guralnicksuggeststhatthehusbandisnotinfactdead,astheaccompanimentsuggeststhe
husbandisstillpresent.35Thissolemnyetangrysongendswithaduplicationofthefirst
song’saccompaniment(seeFigure736),whichstandsforthewoman’sreminiscingofthe
firsttimeshesawhernowgonehusband.
31Hallmark,FrauenliebeUndLeben,215.32ElissaS.Guralnick,“'AhClara,IAmNotWorthyofYourLove':Rereading'FrauenliebeUndLeben',thePoetryandtheMusic”(Music&Letters87(4).OxfordUniversityPress:580–605,2006),600.33Hallmark,FrauenliebeUndLeben,247.34Hallmark,FrauenliebeUndLeben,247.35ElissaS.Guralnick,“'AhClara,IAmNotWorthyofYourLove':Rereading'FrauenliebeUndLeben',thePoetryandtheMusic”(Music&Letters87(4).OxfordUniversityPress:580–605,2006),601.36Schumann,FrauenliebeundLeben.
Figure7
11
IntermsofthemarriageofRobertandClaraSchumann,thiscycleforeshadowed
manyofthecircumstancesintheirmarriage.Forinstance,Claradid“giveherselffullyto
him,”asstatedinSong4,bysettinghercompositionalandartisticcareerasideinfavorof
Robert’s.ThefrenziedideaspresentinIchkann’snichtfassen,nichtglaubenandHelftmir,
ihrSchwesternrepresentthestressfulprocessofRobertandClara’smarriage,whichwas
bynomeanseasy.
Mostimportantly,thelastsonganditsendingareadirectparalleltoClara’slifeafter
Robert’sinsanityanddeath:justliketheendingtothecycleisareplicationofthebeginning
ofthework,Clara’slifeafterRobertwascharacterizedbyimmensesuccessasamusician,
successthatshewasunabletoattainwhileplacinghercareersecondtoRobert’s.Infact,
shortlyafterRobert’sfuneral,Clarastartedplacingherchildrenatalowerprioritythanher
music.Withinthreemonthsofhisdeath,Clarahadplacedtwoofherchildreninboarding
schoolandleftthetwoyoungestwithahousekeeperwhilesheembarkedonaconcert
tour37.Whilehersuccessasamusiciancontinuedtogrowandshebeganonceagainto
developherownidentityasamusician,she
FrauenliebeundLebennotonlypredictedmanyconditionsoftheSchumanns’marriage,it
alsoperpetuatedtheculturalnormsthatpreventedwomeninnineteenth-centuryGermany
frompursuingtheirskillsandpassions.
37NancyB.Reich,ClaraSchumann,theArtistandtheWoman(Ithaca,NY:CornellUniversityPress),136.
12
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