Washington University in St. Louis Washington University Open Scholarship All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) January 2011 Robert Schumann and the Gesangverein: The Dresden Years (1844 - 1850) Gina Pellegrino Washington University in St. Louis Follow this and additional works at: https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/etd Recommended Citation Pellegrino, Gina, "Robert Schumann and the Gesangverein: The Dresden Years (1844 - 1850)" (2011). All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs). 276. https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/etd/276 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by Washington University Open Scholarship. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) by an authorized administrator of Washington University Open Scholarship. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS Department of Music Dissertation Examination Committee: Hugh Macdonald, Chair Garland Allen Todd Decker Martin Kennedy Michael Lützeler Craig Monson John Stewart ROBERT SCHUMANN AND THE GESANGVEREIN: THE DRESDEN YEARS (1844–1850) by Gina Marie Pellegrino A dissertation presented to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Washington University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy May 2011 Saint Louis, Missouri ABSTRACT Nineteenth-century Germany saw an expansion of choral music in a secular context, bringing about changes not only in the nature of the organizations but also in the character of the music. Often depicted in history books as the age of the Lied, the early nineteenth century was also the age of the Chorgesang, creating a demand for music for social gatherings. Amateur choruses and partsinging reached their peak of popularity in nineteenth-century Germany.