CHAPTER Vir Schumann and His German Contemporaries A the cme of the Napoleonic wars present-day Gersany was sila ‘razy-quilt of some 300 independent states, eat wit its own system ‘of government, tai, and semy. Some sates, moceove, ly enily within the boundaries of others; rusia contained no fewer th thie temn such enclaves. For centuries the dukes an prneeings who rated these res had exhausted themselves in diplomatic and economic intrigue with and agains one another, and tthe begining of he vie teenth century the prospect ofa united Germany would have seed lmpossbl. The insuument for changing all hi, paradorclly, was the ater defest and humsiason vised upon tie German sits by [Napoleon in 1805-9, In 1812 the dssstoussetrest of the Pench amis from Moscow provided the German powers with an opporsuity Fors concer act of tvenge: Assia and Pri, pv tvays a odds combined forces to deliver the coup de rie to Napoleon and his amie in the bate of Leipag in October 1813. While the confederation of German mations established sche Congress of Viana in 1815 was = fecble ching, che war of liberation against Napoleon had roused Ger imanspeaking peopl toa Sense of common nationality, 2 trong ier ‘opposition tothe tetored princes now demanded both persona iter ties and national unison, “The most vocal sector ofthe liberal movement consisted of young people and sens, a national student soit, the Burchewshah, ele brated an ardent love of Fatherland end longing for feedom, Insecure beads of state became alarmed a some activites ofthe young race. The murder ofthe reactionary dramatve August von Kotcbue by * fanatalstadene clinched the matters mecting of German minster 2 1819 ssued the repressive Casbad Decree that provided forthe super vision ofthe universities, imposed strict censorship, and forbade the {exming of any consiton apposed to the principle of monarchy. From that time until the collapse ofthe old Gctan onde inthe revolutions ‘9 1848, he restoration governments ough ea-gused bute agit ‘he forces fr liberalism The Mbeal of radia! opposition coaleseed it ‘he movement known 3s Jnges Dahl (Vong Gera) ed fond an effective voice inthe wesings of Ludwig. We (2786-1897), Ka Gitzkow (1811-78), and, above al in the sail poore of Heinich Heine (1797-156), SCHUMANN In the sutum of 1880 Robere Schuman (1810-56), then a somewhat desaltory law staden, decided to pursue a career in music A native of the Sexon town of Zick nea the presnt-day Border with Cacche slovakia, he hd spent ane yess each 3 the Universes of Leipig and Heidelberg, and now rtsred to Leia to devote Himself othe plano. His teacher, Friedrich Wieck (iter is fatersin- lan), promised to ake him within thee years “one of the greatest pasts nov living 2 most ambitious proposal, considering thatthe ewenty-yenr-olé Scher tmann had aot yt stdied piano very systematically and had nex to no experience a8 a public performer. Although in 1831-22 is studies in plano were supplemented with some lon in counterpoint ftom te local conducie Hemrich Dos, Schumann rufered a costmon dept vation of alnctenth-entary composer. lack of exly professional The son ofa book dele and publisher wih marked iterary incline tions.’ Schumann was immersed at an ely age in lester ranging fom the Greek classes to Byron and Scot Hs yea of ostensible suly ‘of law at Leprig Universiy is deseibed thus by his elasmate Emul lech Ja Leip he never otra. Bt hese wes aay te ewes Tiere: eles ene enays, Mei Geman sory, spec get deal of Jan Pal, whe: sy rd manne he vor ‘ately ited too mach now wring epee ever Some of Schumann's writings fom thie period have survived: aphor jams, fragments of novel, and exays on various subjects, These, as ‘vel sh ers to his family, ae often writen in an exeavaganly ‘mate tye im apparent station ofthe fanciful and difise novels of his literary idl, Jean Paul ann Paul Feedrich Richter, 1763-1825) Even afer his deision to parse a caer in asi, Seaman’ itrary Interests continsed to zbsorb him in + lener of Decentber 1430, het agp portrait of Schumann os a EE ey wrote, “Wont my ten or nic and poetry would conver i Sioale pont, the igh would not bese ster, an cold a genre “The folowing year Schuman hit upon sway so fet such com vergence of his lent for musi nd rai nthe Alene ma Ialiche Zeng of December 1831, be pulsed review of Chops ‘sition for ino aad ochesaon "Leder ano ffm Don {Givin cloaking his work in an eaborte, novels Jen Praban prt: the review begins th way pts oc ong ao Ente wld guy i gh te doe. You knw the le aan weil ih wh he tence sy Han sth pn wih Hosen: Fear, a you Lao, oo of thon nl dah ens aneurin re ‘tyne tris propor nw, cron Wher exrurey es ihm only rsa rue ona sty Hoe Sushi td nnn ped ids honor "ine: hecomprsens noth re ley. ft mee sie se ‘fended bth open sgt ing He se ee ‘teu, sodas po pyogenes ‘Siymoreprt an Herat’ Thine bayer vn eForea tes fo be sree With wore “Hina off yee, ge Eri dowe br mse sre 4. “Almeine msie Zn, 59 O80 “The at of characters thus ntcodced® he then engaps in highly met- {phorieal cussion of Chopin's mosie Inthe colrfl fashion Scho- mann presented oth Chopin, an unknown compose, and himself, an ttkuown cite, tothe musi publi That Schumann shoold have Single oot the young Chopin in 1831 a "agen emarkable; hat he should have done ro rolely on the basis ofthe “Li ei dae” Vara- ‘dons—simalr in mot respects to countless other sets of variations on the market—is even more So “Although Schumann intended thi ceviw as 2 Se installment in 2 series of sch essays the editor ofthe Algoneivemuitolicke Zea, {G_W. Fink, wanted no moze to do with crcsm of this sort And Schumann was no more succes in pabiaking his fncfl pose in ny olkee exablshed masel journal One editor, however, proved feceptve tothe young etc unorthodories: Cal Hedossson 2 rd> ie scalars sod star ofthe Jnges Desind moverent, pine {Seo aticles of Schumann's in 1835 in his teary journal Der Kom. ‘These esays, which appeared under the collective le Der Devine der, poreay Schumar’shalCimapinary fgoresFlorestan, Eusbies, ato, andthe ethers as group of young ststs nd moscians,2"band ff David.” doing batle withthe Phillstins of conzemmperary care “Thus, this organ for social and pbs sent of the German youth ‘overeat, Schumann Inehed his own campaign of disseat aginst the prevailing music tate in German rocey ‘Since the ltr yeats of Beethoven, Schumann fel the German con xt and opeca stage had been awash with rupee musi from abroad. "Rossin reigacd supreme inthe teste,” he Incr remisised, “and among pists Heer snd Hen had the eld prey rauch to them= Salven”! So pervasive was the infaence of Kaan and Pench opera and ‘Ofte Parisian piano virtuoso tat ice, nis opiion, nex 0 mpos- Sible for a seriou native comporer to eta ar bearing, The rath Extensive German mica pest, and pascal th Loca Allgemeine mustliche Zeta, showed litle interest in changing the sates 940. I response, Schumann and 2 group of like-minded frends founded their own journal in 1834, che Neue Zell Muse (Nev Journal for Music). For arly ten years Schumann presided over the cwice- ‘eekly issues of she joarnal, condocting ie corespondence, king Charge of proofteding, and conebuting in the neighborhood of 1000 pases of copy, consisting of reviews of publihed masic, editorials, and Iroc on 4 wide range of mosieal subjects. At Sst Schamann wrote The muro il Jo and sate hrc ocd i Mites Too (6 Rabe Schuman, Cee fon ah ud Mari, 84.fleur elpiiger Seitlehrilt fix Matis. “The ft page of Sehr Toc on Ape 14 ealy everything in hs unorthodox novelatc style Reviews were ast 1S discussions among members ofthe Dividsbund, and one even pre- fends be 2 description of dream abouts county fac But the pres ‘ot his duties se editor and writer soon precladed such erry oases, tha Florestn, Esc, and thet shadowy Faends gradually disap- peared from te pages ofthe journal. his wvdings Schumann consi fenlyexcorated the grat opera and te ishionable appendages, desired fl things Tella, and ealted the anon of Romantic msc heros from Back to Beethoven, Schubert and contemporaries such a8 Cho pia and Mendelssohn, Like Berot, Schumans was for much of hs veer beter Known a8 2 cic than a 4 composer, upon his det in $856 a nouce i the Neve Zech scald that “ono hi resiement from this journal ven 1844), he was admired, bythe overwhelming ‘majority, primal a9 author.” Schumann’ sisal hopes of becoming 2 plano virtuoso foundered ‘viekly in the spring of 1832 he reported to hs family a ‘curious mit breane” wits hight hand, and fom tat ime onthe hand was pa tilly paralyzed.® But by 1882 his hfe seemed ia soy cave pointed io ther dcecons. He had already published his review of Chopin's var {akon and his comportions were begining ose the ight of day his ‘asatons oa the pitches ABEGG (Op. 1) had sppeaed in 1831, and 2 Nn Zoi a 06.07 Rene eee raed maaiatl aie mente eee fells aye a mn io ee ‘he collection Pepilins (Op, 2, in the spring of 1892, The Eades oer (Copies of Papen! were fished in Jone of 1832, ad the Interne (Gp. fone month ltr. By the sme he sufered is and injury, his fates composer andere seems to have been decided ‘During the 1850 Schima compose splendid body of plano mic, and rll nothing ee Alsou his fimous compostons for piano sere writen inthis detade; in addition to ose just mentioned there BE Gn approxteately chronological order) the Toceata, Op. 7, the Symphonic aude, Op. 12, Camel, Op 9, dhe thee plano sonata in FP] mor (Op 1), © minoe(OP- 2 and F minor (Op). the Sere from Chitdhost, Op. 15, the Kreeriana, Op. 16 and other. Most of ‘he callecions consist of seis of shorter movements, and some have tlaborate programmati associations Ppl, Shamans’ fst major publication, provides an example of is esrly manne of assembling a longer compasiion by combining Sal suodues eluates a well something ofthe Aavor ofthe Iter ty and programmatic allusions that astach fo is early piano music. ‘This ellecion const fs sxemeasure Indien and cwelve move- ments; most of them are very shor, and al shov the rhythms and extutes of dance muse, Some of these individual numbers had been ‘Composed efor Scharana let Heidelberg 180. Thee were appar= euy conceived a» individual dance, several survive in Schumann’ Sfechbooks under the tile "al, Schamann composed the remain ing movement in Leisig in 1691-32, imerspersed them among the ‘dher he had alreedy writen, and gave the cllecion its le, While {he beginning and end ae bound tether by 3 very cea thematic and tonal connection, the ner movements show the strong contsts of key and charac that we might expect of @compostion dhs assem: bes “The published score of Pails contsins in ation to the tte one ther miysyng progtemmatie erence; i she final rambe, above Sh ocautencts ofthe ich a this note appears inthe sore: "The aml ak the Camavabaight cases. The tower clock suikes six." Schama rove some mitc-needed clrfcton of his meaning in leters to Eis imily and wo the eaters who were to review the composition. To the former he wrote, ‘Ase them all to ed 8 208 pou teal seen ofan Pals ‘Regt th the Papa ce ea ox anstcmaion of ‘his shal no nse, Ad then a erm he Papillon acurthy ‘Riko pevupe,someihng of Wanss sgl lve, Was poste maare nd Vall ighngetry pie? Liat Bac fein now op of Fata Wen 9 Ae Taunt cae sone ps pga th nbn a aoe Sand tis mont fr Ppt.“The Emperor crane at» masked ballin the Hor, Views 1818 But how can we square Schumann's descrpcion ofthe Papin as 2 ‘musical counterparsof + masked El in Jean Paul's novel withthe pre- history of the see a8 2 dupaate grovp of keyboud pice, many of Which appbrenty were writen gute iadependenly? Whatever tet origins, they were lsuiable in chis conten, Schumtnn seems to have ‘ought, because they are all dance mass jat of the sor that would have been head ome af the nunnber, (dca 2, 6 and 10) even have sections that announce the ronal ity and compo ofthe next dante ofthe ball. So one sort of muse reference that Schumann evidenly expected to operat inthe Papillon is the wellown one in which music imittesrusie. And when in leter quoted above he spoke of specific connsetions beweea this mse za ene fom Jean Paul's noel, he didnot cain thatthe Paps portray Wina, Walk o Vale, oF thei scsi, but rather “romething 8f Wins angeielove, Wales poede nature, and Vl lighining- sharp Slr.” Here he subscribes, scmingly, to ental tenet of Remand Musial aesthetics eather thin desribing scenes, evens, of actions themelves, music communicates the flings, the “serer ofthe so” tenant co chem. The ede Ppl (French fr "bates" ako lye {role in these ayers of subd reference and alsion, Schumana's word formas ball” is Larventans, Lore means “mask,” but al "ara, {he premature form of moths ad butter in which the nset—Hke 2 revelera¢a masked ball~ascumer an appearance very woke iv usd ample VIII: setumanse, Papillow No. mm. 1-8 Most ofthe mums of the epiloNae the exteme metic ego tay of roe dance mais ofthe ny alot se le eee th invoavarying patra of or, ght and wxeen measure. Many show the Loyooud sextres of arate "perty musi the ‘ery fone for crmpl tee eda eos of popu or of Tutcand paso laying in sch the upper pat hat he melody in seater wile the lower ane provides alike secompaiment hample Vl) The chomate ifcoonr and shapely cvjune motion tf the ba ne, bower, bay» degree of option not oie, Band at reson of ne han feed nd sees of ‘ery flctous heybosré wecng by th budding compose are po- etc of ood tings to comer ane stance, shows i ale VI aa he sonorous srpepgatonadoming» kept ing aeguence of lens Papin No.) Our enjoyment of as ingen Bt ample VIUI2: seroma, Paps No. 7, em. 1-16 Sennans ‘Example VII-3: sence, Camel: Exel, mm. 13-20 aml eee ‘2f piano musics Being; lke many good ideas in the Papin, eds appeats afte a mere 16 measures, Schomann setsned to the ceraival revels of his fervid imagination snl wth moda onion of Ppa aaa pe Boson fot an Cans Som mn ar eens] 63, Allwenl rns oP progtamizatc, There are music chaacerications of the fens “Riaifes ofthe Devdsn, Floresta and Eoschis as well as Charing (Clara Wieck, whom Schumann wie to marty in 181) and Easels (Ermestina vor Fricke, ro whom he was belly engaged n 1884). Chas pin and Paganini ae represented, each with deft imation of his vc ‘eT composition, snd in thisimagivary celebration they tab elbows sees the wadkional Sigres of pantomime, Petron, Aslequin @lasequa, Panralon and Colombine. Another gossamer thread sining the com: posiion together musical acoste upon which neatly all the num bers are bated ASCH (in German Es, pronounced "sin Eh, and His BA, Halfway though the collection Schumann writes Sue the note: epreented by these lewers in several permatadons under the tie “Sphinxes,” withthe instruction that they ate not to be payed. Aad wwe lear from letter to hit friend Heniete Vsge thar thee leer "ames had for him 2 double significance: Asch was the hometown sp Bohemis of his fancte, Ernestine nd these leet ace Se aly sneer ‘is own name that desigoate musical pitches) The inividul numbers of Camera aren many cases more extended than thse of Papillon, and the muse ideas are veees develop. Car nal is nonetheless permeated will anes wiythns, paiclly walk like ones, ha fill into regulaly recutrng periods of eight and sca ‘measunes. Where Schumann exerci his invension iit shapes of the pattems themselves, Comural teenie one aul aration set asother upon the oxdnay textre ant Tj of Gases ace ‘Pano. Tr Estrela (Example VII), the repelary reweing base note con the thie and fet bets are distantly reminiscent ofthe wal; she tones ofthe melady ae played above in octaves, bu staggered in such ‘way cat chey always goout on the second beat inthe alto vice (thus fuppving the mising second beat of the bss pte} and on the tid inthe soprano. Rhyshmie dislacement suck at Ui pervaive in Cat= vere an eames ean ee Sean's mle “Anocher Schumannesie trait in Caraval isthe aplendily resonant sud of ts eaoedal passages at inthe beginning ofthe final Marche det Davitthinder cone le Plane, (Example Vl). Tie not entirely ‘obvious what makes the effet ofthis passage 50 extaodinary. Surely itis due par to the longceld pels. (Schoman indicates “pedsle iesede") permitted by th slow barmonie motion the low bais tone “TP BSgin each ewo-measate group revounds through the pssing chordal changes shove so ast add grest weight othe principal atmonies. vamp VIlI-S: sires, Comevls Marche de Daviehnder contre ler Pisin, mene 1-8 1 1839 Sctummann peice a review of tee sco published piano seoatas with some melancholy ematks about the eats ofthat gene Ie estan, frothing, tt soa ar ween sin by es wee tpt ofa ft ease to inp Seer, ed *Syrom tofal Hemd who igre Ba son fe Morin truer et Secor expe wa owed many Pe She tal ge of eden, he thor dee ef, de see ih ‘aye he eee re te ny ae esl ger who