Robert Schumann and the Gesangverein: the Dresden Years (1844 - 1850) Gina Pellegrino Washington University in St
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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. Gesangvereinen (mixed voice choirs) soon broke into segregated choirs known as Liedertafeln (male voice choirs) and Frauenchoren (female voice choirs). These segregated choirs became a phenomenon and established themselves throughout middle-class Germany and the surrounding German-speaking regions, resulting in an abundance of compositions from every composer of significance and amateurs alike. Robert Schumann spent just over five years in Dresden from 1844–50. It is during this period that his interest in unaccompanied choral music is most apparent. In 1847, he became director of the Dresdner Liedertafel and a year later he founded his own Verein für Chorgesang. His work with these two organizations resulted in a prolific collection of partsongs for mixed voices, male voices, and female voices — music that even today continues to be unfairly dismissed. After examining the history of the Gesangverein and its gendered counterparts in Dresden and Schumann‘s work within the traditions, a textual and musical comparison of Schumann‘s music for mixed choirs and his works for male and female voices will follow in an attempt to bring his partsongs back to the Schumann literature and, more importantly, back to private and public performance. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my advisor Hugh Macdonald for his invaluable guidance and support. I have benefitted greatly from his expertise, enthusiasm, humor, and encouragement. I am also grateful to Garland Allen, Todd Decker, Martin Kennedy, Michael Lützeler, Craig Monson, and John Stewart for so generously giving their time to serve as committee members. The faculty and staff of the Music Department, led by Chair Dolores Pesce, have been incredibly supportive. I traveled to Germany twice as a result of a generous Nussbaum Travel Grant. Robert Snarrenberg‘s love for teaching set an extraordinary example, and I will forever be in debt for his dedication to work with me the summer following the Brahms seminar. The late Wanda Harry and Sona Haydon were cherished friends, and Sona‘s endurance in preparing me for the keyboard exam will never be forgotten. My research in Germany went smoothly thanks to the support of: Gerd Nauhaus, then director, and Anette Müller at the Robert-Schumann-Haus; Bernhard Appel and Matthias Wendt at the Robert-Schumann-Forschungsstelle; Katrin Rheinhold at the Schumann- Haus-Bonn; and Christine Weidlich, ULB Bonn. I am especially indebted to Karl Geck, Music Librarian, Saxon State and University Library (SLUB) in Dresden. My German translations were mostly completed under the supervision of my instructors at the Goethe Institute in Dresden and once home with the assistance of Albrecht Gaub. I am fortunate to work with incredibly supportive colleagues at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Paul Kilmer, my mentor and friend, led the way in his encouragement. Graduation would not be possible without his support and generous flexibility with my schedule. My family and friends have been an amazing support group, providing motivation, baby- sitting services, and an ear to vent. Thank you to my brother Salvatore, his wife Erin, and my godson Salvatore Christopher, and my sister Annette and her husband Donny Chavez. Special thanks to the Casey and Hutson families for being my surrogate St. Louis family. My aunt, Olimpia Barbera, with her passion for music has been an inspiration. I cherish our conversations and time together. At 91 she has a zest for life that rivals no other. Thank you to my husband Eric Staley and our daughter Giada Nardina for their patience and love. I have been an absentee mother and wife for many weekends, especially in this last year, and love them more than I can possibly express on paper. Finally, I am indebted to my incredible parents, Salvatore and Cynthia Pellegrino, for their love, support, and encouragement throughout my life. None of this would be possible without them. I dedicate this dissertation to them with love and gratitude. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 German Amateur Choral Societies (1790 – 1840) 26 Song Clubs in Berlin 26 The Liedertafel in Berlin 34 Singing Societies Outside of Berlin 42 Dresden 49 The Frauenchor 62 Schumann and the Song Clubs 71 Early Attempts at Choral Music in Leipzig 71 The Move to Dresden 77 The Verein für Chorgesang 85 The Music 104 Music for Mixed Voices 107 Music for Women‘s Voices 154 Music for Männerstimmen 167 Conclusion 202 Relocation to Düsseldorf 202 Dresden Post-history 209 To America and Beyond 211 The Legacy 213 Closing Thoughts 224 APPENDIX 228 BIBLIOGRAPHY 230 iv LIST OF MUSIC EXAMPLES 1. Zanweh, op. 55, no. 2, measures 1 - 9 114 2. Am Bodensee, op. 5, no.2, measures 8 - 22 118 3. Am Bodensee, op. 5, no. 2, measures 1 – 36 119 4. Hirtenknabengesang, op. 59, no. 5, measures 1 – 10 121 5. Hirtenknabengesang, op. 59, no. 5, measures 16 – 26 122 6. Der König von Thule, op. 67, no. 1, measures 36 – 50 125 7. Schön-Rohtraut, op. 67, no. 2, measures 46 – 65 126 8. Heidenröslein, op. 67, no. 3, measures 11 – 16 127 9. Schnitter Tod, op. 75, no. 6, measures 43 – 54 130 10. Der traurige Jäger, op. 75, no. 8, measures 21 – 25 132 11. Vom verwundeten Knaben, op. 75, no. 10, measures 24 – 34 134 12. Der Schmied, op. 145, no. 11, measures 16 – 31 136 13. John Anderson, op. 145, no. 14, measures 9 – 18 138 14. Beim Abschied zu Singen, op. 84, measures 41 – 46 144 15. An die Sterne, op. 141, no. 1, measures 64 – 83 146 16. Zuversicht, op. 141, no. 3, measures 10 – 20 148 17. Waldmächen, op. 69, no. 2, measures 13 – 18 157 18. Die Capelle, op. 69, no. 6, measures 28 – 39 160 19. Der Wasserman, op. 91, no. 9, measures 17 – 25 161 20. Der träumende See, op. 33, no. 1, measures 5 - 18 169 21. Die Lotusblume, op. 33, no. 3, measures 13 – 26 171 22. Frühlingsglocken, op. 33, no. 6, measures 39 – 47 174 23. Zürne nicht des Herbtes Wind, op. 65, no. 5, measures 1 – 22 180 24. In Meeres Mitten, op. 65, no. 7, measures 1 – 20 182 25. Frehietslied, op. 62, no. 2, measures 91 – 115 187 26. Schlachtgesang, op. 62, no. 3, measures 46 – 60 188 27. Zu den Waffen, WoO 4, no. 1, measures 17 – 22 191 28. Frühe, op. 137, no. 4, measures 39 – 26 198 v Chapter I: Introduction On the evening of Wednesday, 5 January, 1848 Emilie Heydenreich, née Steffens, and her good friend Marie von Lindemann arrived at the Garden Hall of the Harmonie Society in Dresden with fifty-five other men and women to embark on a much- anticipated musical adventure. They were invited to participate in Dr. Schumann‘s new song club, with their good friend Clara Schumann at the piano as assistant director. According to Emilie, ―nobody who had the opportunity to practise and perform with the group would ever forget the experience…The influence the Schumanns had on us was immense and we reciprocated with enthusiasm to the noble, artistic couple‖.1 The Chorgesangverein, the name they adopted at that first meeting, would continue to gather on Wednesday evenings, becoming an important part of the couple‘s musical life in Dresden until their departure for Düsseldorf. The nineteenth century saw a rise of this type of choral society in England, the European continent, and the United States. German and German-speaking Gesangvereinen (mixed voice choirs) broke into segregated choirs known as Liedertafeln (male voice choirs) and Frauenchoren or Damenchoren (female voice choirs), and these segregated choirs established themselves throughout middle-class Germany and the surrounding German-speaking regions. Later in the nineteenth century larger choirs began to multiply and merge, and the establishment of choral festivals throughout the German-speaking regions created a demand for more choral music. The organization, 1 ―Niemand, der an unseren damaligen Übungen und Aufführungen theil genommen hat, wird diese je vergessen können… Der Einfluß Schumanns auf uns, und unsere Begeisterung, für das edle Künstlerpaar waren gleich groß.‖ Erinnerungen von Emilie Steffens (original in the Robert-Schumann-Haus Zwickau, Archive-Nr.: zu 12899-A1/A3), reprinted in Renate Brunner, ed., Alltag und Künstlertum: Clara Schumann und ihre Dresdner Freundinnen Marie Von Lindemann und Emilie Steffens, Schumann Studien, 4 (Sinzig Studio: 2005), 82.