A Correspondence Complex in Robert Schumann's Liederjahr Songs
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City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 9-2018 Sunken II Chords and Inwardness: A Correspondence Complex in Robert Schumann’s Liederjahr Songs Alexander J.J. Martin The Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2836 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] SUNKEN II CHORDS AND INWARDNESS: A CORRESPONDENCE COMPLEX IN ROBERT SCHUMANN’S LIEDERJAHR SONGS by ALEXANDER MARTIN A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York 2018 © 2018 ALEXANDER MARTIN All rights reserved ii Sunken II Chords and Inwardness: A Correspondence Complex in Robert Schumann’s Liederjahr Songs by Alexander Martin This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in Music in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Date L. Poundie Burstein Chair of Examining Committee Date Norman Carey Executive Officer Supervisory Committee: William Rothstein Scott Burnham L. Poundie Burstein Harald Krebs THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK iii Abstract Sunken II Chords and Inwardness: A Correspondence Complex in Robert Schumann’s Liederjahr Songs by Alexander Martin Advisor Name: Professor William Rothstein This dissertation advances a new approach to text-music relationships with a view to identifying and exploring a specific, recurring text-music relationship in Schuman’s Liederjahr songs. Chapter 1 proposes to update and restructure the taxonomy of possible text-music relationships. I argue that there are four categories of text-music relationships: two conjunctions, viz., correspondences and Widersprüche; and two disjunctions, viz., Gleichgültigkeiten and Eigenständigkeiten. I am principally interested in exploring how structures and tonal archetypes native to Schenkerian theory may function as musical metaphors for themes, ideas, and imagery in the text; a survey of extant literature reveals that Schenkerian analysts typically assert such correspondences using the linguistic formulations of metaphor (some variation on “M in the music IS T in the text”) or analogy (some variation on “m1 IS TO m2 in the music AS t1 IS TO t2 in the text”). A novel feature of my approach is that text-music relationships are formally expressed using a special symbolic notation. Symbolic definitions often collapse the distinction between metaphorical and analogical prose definitions, allowing analysts to compare seemingly disparate relationships on a level playing field. iv In response to Agawu’s criticism that musico-poetic analyses of Lieder are usually ad hoc and one-off (1999), I argue for the possibility of families of recurring text-music relationships, which I call text-music complexes (we may further distinguish between correspondence and Widerspruch complexes). Text- music complexes are archetypes for how some element in the text is mapped onto some element in the music for the creation of musico-poetic meaning in song; text-music relationships are their individual instantiations. As text-music relationships are to individual songs, text-music complexes are to sets of songs whose membership is circumscribed in some predetermined manner (e.g., the songs in a collection or cycle, songs by a specific composer, songs written during a specific historical era, etc.). Chapter 2 investigates the hermeneutical implications of passages where major V is followed, and prolonged, by minor II. The seeming breach of tonal syntax creates a perceived ebb in the tonal flow and gives the impression that V has somehow turned inward. By analogy to origami, I call this family of V prolongations a dominant sink fold; the Oberquintteiler here is called a sunken II chord, symbolized II. Because of their special voice-leading properties and inward affect, IIs possess unique potential for creating text-music correspondences. The central claim of this dissertation is for the existence of a correspondence complex in Schumann’s Liederjahr songs that is bound up with a sense of inwardness. This correspondence complex (ℂ) takes II as its musical element (필), and any form of involution in the semantic dimension of the text as its textual element (핋); in symbolic notation, it is formally defined by the expression ℂInwardness = 필II ⚭ 핋Inwardness. As evidence for an inwardness correspondence complex, Chapters 3–5 present analyses of three Schumann Lieder in which a II in the music is meaningfully coordinated with some form of inward turn, introspection, or heightened subjectivity in the text. The v three songs are “Der Nussbaum” (op. 25, no. 3), “Ich hab’ in mich gesogen” (op. 37, no. 5), and “Berg’ und Burgen schau’n herunter” (op. 24, no. 7). vi Acknowledgements Anfangs wollt’ ich fast verzagen, und ich glaubt’, ich trüg’ es nie; und ich hab’ es doch getragen – aber fragt mich nur nicht, wie? This Heine poem is about the burden of lost love, but it could also be about writing a dissertation. When I set out to write mine, I did not know exactly where to begin writing, and after I had begun, there were times when I felt I would never finish writing it. And yet now I have finished it… To pursue the misreading, the final line of the poem could be interpreted as a humbling reminder: how I wrote it is perhaps not so important a question as who helped me to write it. I’m honored now to acknowledge some of the people who helped and supported me along the way and to thank them for their contributions. First and foremost, I wish to thank my advisor, William Rothstein, for his continued mentorship, encouragement, and guidance. His keen analytical insights, ability to forge compelling theoretical and historical connections, transcendent musical sensibility, razor sharp wit, and profound expertise in the intricacies of tonal structure have contributed immeasurably both to this project— from its earliest inception, and to its final form—and to my Bildung these past five years at the CUNY Graduate Center, besides. I thank my first reader, Scott Burnham, for the warmth and enthusiasm he has shown toward me, my research, and my career, for keeping an eye on the bigger picture in this dissertation, and for the endlessly engaging conversations we have shared. I thank my second reader, Poundie Burstein—whose joie de vivre and passion for music theory is simply contagious—for helping me to hone my graphing technique and for the countless times I sought his feedback for documents like musical examples, conference proposals, handouts, applications, and lesson plans and received vii prompt, honest, and thoughtful criticism. Harald and Sharon Krebs, whom I have had the pleasure of knowing since my M.A. studies at the University of British Columbia and participation in VISI on the west coast, warmly welcomed me into the wider song scholarship community and have been a constant influence on my interests and work. I am always overjoyed to see them at SMT meetings and deeply cherish our discussions about German Romantic poetry and Lieder. I am grateful to Harald for being my outside reader, and to Sharon for helping me to tease out some of the nuances of the poems discussed in this dissertation. The professors at the Graduate Center are all world-class; I am thankful to Mark Spicer, Kofi Agawu, Eric Wen, and Chadwick Jenkins, whose thought-provoking seminars I took during my coursework. Without Tonisha Alexander, who helped me to navigate the occasionally labyrinthine CUNY administrative system, I would surely have been dashed upon its rocks. I especially wish to thank my academic advisor, Joseph Straus, for helping me to launch my career and for his ceaseless advocacy on behalf of the students in our Ph.D. program. We are the lucky beneficiaries of your legendary scholarship and professional development—thank you for your sagacious wisdom, Joe! Tom Johnson and I entered the graduate program at the same time, went through the crucible of writing comprehensive exams together, taught classes together at Brooklyn College, held writing sessions when we were working on our respective dissertations, and are now moving on to bigger and better things as this chapter of our lives draws to a close. Tom, you’re my brother-in-arms: thank you for being by my side through thick and through thin—you’re a great colleague, and an even better friend. I continue to look up to my colleagues Ellen Bakulina and Loretta Terrigno with admiration. Thank you, Ellen, for taking me under your wing when I started teaching, and thank you, Loretta, for comparing notes and sharing ideas with me. Thanks also to my classmates Michèle Duguay, Giordana Fiori, Drew Fleming, Jesse Gardner, Aaron Harcus, Kristi Hardman, Megan Lavengood, Christina viii Lee, Ji Yeon Lee, Nathan Pell, Simon Prosser, Tim Mastic, Andrew Moylan, Molly Reid, Ruka Shironishi, Noel Torre-Rivera, and Xieyi (Abby) Zhang. I have greatly enjoyed our spirited debates about the merits of fixed- or moveable-Do systems with you at “Theory Thursday,” performing with you at the “Music Theorists & Friends Recital,” and butchering musical numbers and pop songs with you at our epic end-of-semester karaoke parties. I am yours always in ideas and friendship. Several people have contributed indirectly to this project with their friendship in ways that cannot be quantified. To my friends Alexandra Cheng and Melissa Ellamil, I was so thrilled when I found out we would be living in New York together after Green College, and I am thankful for all the adventures we have had in the Big Apple.