Schumann 734 Text E

Robert Schumann’s “Märchenbilder” or Fairytale Schumann’s Fairytale Pictures are one of the Pictures for viola and piano were written in 1851, pearls of the viola repertoire. A so-called “urtext a time when Schumann, as new municipal music edition”, which attempts to render Schumann’s director, was grappling with the problems of being a autograph with all its problematic readings, conductor. Despite audiences’ initially very positive while a reasonable assumption, is limited by tex- response, the “curious clumsiness in conducting” tual interpretation. The Amadeus publishers and that Richard Wagner had once noticed in Schumann I have therefore decided that for all the works soon became apparent, adding professional tensions that Schumann prepared for publication before to the health problems that had plagued him for so his last illness and internment, it is the first edi- long: from 1844 on, the mental illness which had tion corrected by the author, and not the auto- first become apparent in 1833 led to increasingly graph alone, that represents the composer’s “last severe crises, bringing with them psychoses, halluci- will”. There are so many cases in which Schu- nations and stubborn insomnia. mann was still making alterations to the proofs In such circumstances, the “Märchenbilder” that one can truly say that the process of compo- theme seems like “escapism”, the harassed and sition continued until the end of the final proof- threatened romantic genius’s flight to the haven of reading. For this reason, the first edition from the eternal mother and of childhood dreams. The June 1852 is the textual basis for the present fairytale’s archaic values were familiar to every edu- new edition. It bears the title: “Mährchen Bilder. cated person since the Grimm brothers’ cardinal / Vier Stücke / für Pianoforte und Viola / (Vio- work. The choice of cover illustration for the first line ad libitum) / Herrn J. von Wasielewskij / print (a storytelling old woman surrounded by chil- zugeeignet von / Robert Schumann / Op. 113. / dren, in the manner of Ludwig Richter), which he Cassel, bei C. Luckhardt.” The dedicatee Joseph must surely have authorized, shows to what extent Wasielewskij (1822–1896) was the leader in Schumann also appreciated the picturesque com- Schumann’s Düsseldorf orchestra, later becom- ponent of fairytales. Yet while the first movement ing a musicologist. Apart from the first great breathes lyrical geniality and the second illustrates Schumann biography, he wrote fundamental childish wooden saber rattling, the third movement histories of violin and cello playing. The fact is soon dominated by sinister goings-on: when the that Schumann dedicated his viola pieces to him scurrying, shadowy triplets confront the defiant is indicative of viola playing during the mid- march rhythm, the fairytale switches to a parable 19th century. While part and parcel of musical of reality, and the artist’s hard existential struggle life, it was far from emancipated, being often shines through the programmatic escapism. The and lovingly played by many leading violinists last movement is like an infinitely wistful farewell; but not yet in the hands of “exclusive” viola except for a short romantic interlude, the basic players, as was to happen 30 years later under mood is one of sorrow. Hermann Ritter. Ulrich Drüner.

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