Romantic Irony in the String Quartets of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Robert Schumann Robin Wildstein Garvin
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Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2008 Romantic Irony in the String Quartets of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Robert Schumann Robin Wildstein Garvin Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MUSIC ROMANTIC IRONY IN THE STRING QUARTETS OF FELIX MENDELSSOHN BARTHOLDY AND ROBERT SCHUMANN By Robin Wildstein Garvin A Dissertation submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree awarded: Fall Semester, 2008 The members of the Committee approve the Dissertation of Robin Wildstein Garvin on September 3, 2008. ______________________________ Douglass Seaton Professor Directing Treatise ______________________________ Eric Walker Outside Committee Member ______________________________ Michael Bakan Committee Member ______________________________ Charles E. Brewer Committee Member The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii This dissertation is dedicated to my parents Larry and Diane Wildstein iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my major professor, Douglass Seaton, for his unflagging support from the inception of this project to its long-delayed conclusion. Quite apart from his help with my dissertation, he has been instrumental in my development as a musicologist, both as a teacher and a scholar. I would also like to thank committee members Michael Bakan, Charles E. Brewer, and Eric Walker for their careful reading and many helpful suggestions. My parents Larry and Diane Wildstein have supported and encouraged me throughout my academic career. And finally I would like to thank my husband Larry Garvin and our children Hannah, Philip, and Samuel, without whom this dissertation would have been finished a long time ago, but without whom I cannot imagine my life. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Diagrams……………………………………………………………...viii List of Examples........................................................................................... xi Abstract........................................................................................................ xiv 1. ROMANTIC IRONY .............................................................................. 1 Background: General Definition and Categories of Irony 2 Schlegel and Romantic Irony 6 Framework for this Study 9 2. ROMANTIC IRONY IN MUSIC ............................................................ 11 Methodology 11 The Perceivable World of the Work....................................... 12 The Work .............................................................................. 12 Contradictions in the World of the Work ............................... 13 Persona.................................................................................. 13 Paradoxes Specific to the Work ............................................. 14 Transcendence....................................................................... 14 3. ROMANTIC IRONY IN FELIX MENDELSSOHN BARTHOLDY’S STRING QUARTETS...................................................... 15 String Quartet in A Minor, op. 13 15 The Perceivable World of the Work....................................... 15 The Work .............................................................................. 18 Contradictions in the World of the Work ............................... 34 Persona.................................................................................. 36 Paradoxes Specific to the Work ............................................. 37 Transcendence....................................................................... 40 String Quartet in E-flat Major, op. 12 42 The Perceivable World of the Work....................................... 42 The Work .............................................................................. 47 Contradictions in the World of the Work ............................... 56 Persona.................................................................................. 57 v Paradoxes Specific to the Work ............................................ 57 Transcendence ………………………………………………..58 String Quartets op. 44, nos. 1-3 59 The Perceivable World of the Work: op. 44........................... 59 The Perceivable World of the Work: op. 44 no. 2 .................. 62 The Work .............................................................................. 63 Contradictions in the World of the Work ............................... 76 Paradoxes Specific to the Work ............................................. 76 The Perceivable World of the Work: op. 44 no. 3 .................. 77 The Work .............................................................................. 78 Contradictions in the World of the Work ............................... 97 Paradoxes Specific to the Work ............................................. 97 The Perceivable World of the Work: op. 44 no. 1 .................. 99 The Work .............................................................................. 99 Contradictions in the World of the Work ............................... 113 Paradoxes Specific to the Work ............................................. 114 Persona: op. 44...................................................................... 114 Transcendence....................................................................... 116 String Quartet in F Minor, op. 80 117 The Perceivable World of the Work....................................... 117 The Work .............................................................................. 120 Paradoxes Specific to the Work ............................................. 136 Contradictions in the World of the Work ............................... 137 Persona.................................................................................. 138 Transcendence....................................................................... 139 4. ROMANTIC IRONY IN ROBERT SCHUMANN’S STRING QUARTETS OP. 41 NOS. 1-3 ..................................................................... 142 String Quartets op. 41, nos. 1-3 142 The Perceivable World of the Work....................................... 142 String Quartet in A Minor, op. 41 no.1 147 The Work .............................................................................. 147 Contradictions in the World of the Work ............................... 159 Paradoxes Specific to the Work ............................................. 160 String Quartet in F Major, op. 41 no. 2 160 The Work .............................................................................. 160 Contradictions in the World of the Work ............................... 171 Paradoxes Specific to the Work ............................................. 171 String Quartet in A Major, op. 41 no. 3 172 The Work .............................................................................. 172 Contradictions in the World of the Work ............................... 184 Paradoxes Specific to the Work ............................................. 185 Persona: op. 41...................................................................... 186 Transcendence: op. 41........................................................... 188 vi 5. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION ......................................................... 190 The Perceivable World of the Work 191 The Work 191 Paradoxes Specific to the Work 193 Persona 195 Transcendence 196 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................ 199 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH ........................................................................ 206 vii LIST OF DIAGRAMS Chapter 3 Diagram 3.1. Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, String Quartet in A minor, op. 13, mvt. 1.................................................................................... 23 Diagram 3.2. Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, String Quartet in A minor, op. 13, mvt. 2.................................................................................... 27 Diagram 3.3. Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, String Quartet in A minor, op. 13, mvt. 3.................................................................................... 29 Diagram 3.4. Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, String Quartet in A minor, op. 13, mvt. 4.................................................................................... 32 Diagram 3.5. Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, String Quartet in E-flat major, op. 12, mvt. 1.................................................................................... 48 Diagram 3.6. Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, String Quartet in E-flat major, op. 12, mvt. 2.................................................................................... 52 Diagram 3.7. Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, String Quartet in E-flat major, op. 12, mvt. 3.................................................................................... 53 Diagram 3.8. Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, String Quartet in E-flat major, op. 12, mvt. 4.................................................................................... 54 Diagram 3.9. Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, String Quartet in E minor, op. 44 no. 2 , mvt. 1 .......................................................................... 63 Diagram 3.10. Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, String Quartet in E minor, op. 44 no. 2 , mvt. 2 .......................................................................... 69 Diagram 3.11. Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, String Quartet in E minor, op. 44