UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI Date:___________________ I, _________________________________________________________, hereby submit this work as part of the requirements for the degree of: in: It is entitled: This work and its defense approved by: Chair: _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ Themes of Childhood: A Study of Robert Schumann’s Piano Music for Children A doctoral document submitted to the Division of Research and Advanced Studies of the University of Cincinnati In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS In the Keyboard Division of the College-Conservatory of Music 2006 By DONG XU B.M., Central Conservatory of Music, China, 1996 M.M., Eastman School of Music, 1999 Committee Chair: Frank Weinstock ABSTRACT Robert Schumann’s piano music for children, including the Kinderszenen, Album for the Young, Waldszenen, Three Piano Sonatas for the Young, and three piano duets Twelve Four-Hand Piano Pieces for Small and Big Children, Ball Scenes, and Children’s Ball, has remained the most characteristic and successful example of his engagement with the theme of childhood, a popular topic in Romantic art and culture. Although the techniques required within these collections are not as difficult as those found in Schumann’s other piano works, they embrace some of the finest and most rewarding instances of Schumann’s piano writing, and demonstrate their innermost poetic quality and evocative imagination. The purpose of this document is to explore the expressiveness of these works by revealing the sources of their emotional content, their musical originality and characteristics through a historical study and musical analysis. The first chapter addresses Schumann’s personal and family life and the influence of childhood on him to explain why the theme could have affected his affinity for music related to children. The second chapter provides an overview of Schumann’s music for and about children in genres other than piano. This chapter also discusses the quality and styles of Schumann’s late works, with emphasis on Hausmusik, a German term suggesting domestic music making found throughout in his piano music for children and many of his late compositions. The following two chapters present detailed studies of Schumann’s four piano solo works for children. To uncover their musical effect and characteristics of the theme of childhood, the compositional background, thematic treatment, harmonic design, and formal structure are analyzed in detail, as individual pieces and coherent sets. The last chapter is devoted to the three piano duets for children, and identifies their musical traits that are found throughout Schumann’s other works related to childhood. Appendices contain selected reviews of Schumann’s piano music for children by Franz Liszt, and Clara Schumann’s explanation and interpretation of pieces from the Album for the Young. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In the course of preparing this document, several individuals have assisted me in bringing the project to its completion, and it is my pleasure to acknowledge them here. First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to my piano teacher, advisor, and committee chair Professor Frank Weinstock, who has offered constructive support, invaluable advice, and sensible guidance at every stage of the project. He has been a source of inspiration during my doctoral studies and a model for me as a pianist and person. Special and warm thanks go to my committee members, Dr. Hilary Poriss and Mr. Michael Chertock, who have provided me with especially valued insights and extremely helpful comments and suggestions. I also wish to express deep thanks to my wife, Jing Ye, for her understanding, patience, and encouragement, for helping me in countless ways in my life. And to my son, Felix; it was because of his birth in 2004 that the idea for the topic first germinated. I hope that one day he will want to read it. Finally, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to my dear parents for their unconditional love and immeasurable support in my musical education. I dedicate this document to them, with love. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES………………………………………………………………….. iii LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES…………………………………………………. iv INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………….. 1 Chapter 1. CHILDHOOD AND SCHUMANN Schumann’s Own Childhood……………………………………….. 4 Schumann’s Relationship with His Children………………………. 9 Childhood in German Romantic Literature………………………… 13 Children’s Education: Social Influences on Schumann……………. 16 2. SCHUMANN: MUSIC FOR CHILDREN, THE LATE WORKS AND HAUSMUSIK Schumann’s Music for Children……………………………………. 20 The Late Works and Hausmusik……………………………………. 37 3. THE KINDERSZENEN AND THE ALBUM FOR THE YOUNG The Kinderszenen: Schumann as a Poet……………………………. 45 The Album for the Young: Imaginative Miniatures of Childhood….. 56 4. THE WALDSZENEN AND THREE PIANO SONATAS FOR THE YOUNG The Waldszenen: A Musical Märchen……………………………... 76 Three Piano Sonatas for the Young: Musical Portraits of Three Daughters………………………………………………………... 93 i 5. THE THREE PIANO DUETS FOR CHILDREN The Piano Duet and Schumann……………………………………... 108 The Twelve Four-Hand Piano Pieces For Small and Big Children, Op. 85………………………………………………….. 111 The Ball Scenes, Op. 109 and the Children’s Ball, Op. 130……….. 118 CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………………... 128 BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………………... 130 APPENDIXES A. Selected Reviews of Schumann’s Piano Music for Children by Liszt… 137 B. Clara Schumann’s Explanation and Interpretation of Pieces from the Album for the Young…………………………………………….. 139 ii LIST OF TABLES 1. Kinderszenen, Op. 15, key scheme and formal structure………………………. 55 2. Waldszenen, Op. 82, key scheme and formal structure………………………… 81 3. The Twelve Four-Hand Piano Pieces for Small and Big Children, Op. 85, key and formal schemes……………………………………………………… 114 4. Walzer, from the Ball Scenes, Op. 109, No. 8, formal outline…………………. 123 iii LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES 1. “Mond, meiner Seele Liebling,” Op. 104, No. 1, mm. 1-8………………... 24 2. “Der Zeisig,” Op. 104, No. 4, mm. 1-11…………………………………... 25 3. Der Rose Pilgerfahrt, No. 12, Op. 112, mm. 1-6………………………….. 27 4. Der Rose Pilgerfahrt, No. 1, Op. 112, mm. 1-24………………………….. 28 5a. Märchenerzahlungen, Op. 132, 3rd movement, mm. 1-9………………….. 30 5b. Märchenerzahlungen, Op. 132, 4th movement, mm. 1-7………………….. 31 6. Mignon, Op. 68, No. 35, mm. 1-10………………………………………... 33 7. “Heiss mich nicht redden,” Op. 98a, No. 5, mm. 1-9……………………… 34 8. Requiem für Mignon, No. 6, Op. 98b, mm. 355-371………………………. 36 9a. Bittendes Kind, Op. 15, No. 4, mm. 14-17………………………………… 48 9b. Glückes genug, Op. 15, No. 5, mm. 1-4…………………………………… 48 10. Kind im Einschlummern, Op. 15, No. 12, mm. 7-16………………………. 49 11. Kind im Einschlummern, Op. 15, No. 12, mm. 25-32……………………... 50 12. Der Dichter spricht, Op. 15, No. 13, mm. 1-12…………………………… 50 13. Von fremden Ländern und Menschen, Op. 15, No. 1, mm. 1-4…………… 52 14a. Kuriose Geschichte, Op. 15, No. 2, mm. 1-4……………………………… 52 14b. Bittendes Kind, Op. 15, No. 4, mm. 1-3…………………………………… 53 14c. Fürchtenmachen, Op. 15, No. 11, mm. 1-8………………………………... 53 15a. Wichtige Begebenheit, Op. 15, No. 6, mm. 1-4……………………………. 53 15b. Träumerei, Op. 15, No. 7, mm. 1-4………………………………………... 54 15c. Ritter vom Steckenpferd, Op. 15, No. 9, mm. 1-8…………………………. 54 iv 16. Für ganz Kleine……………………………………………………………. 58 17a. Little Fugue, Op. 68, No. 40, prelude, mm. 1-4…………………………… 63 17b. Little Fugue, Op. 68, No. 40, fugue, mm. 1-4……………………………... 63 18a. A Chorale, Op. 68, No. 4…………………………………………………... 64 18b. Figured Chorale, Op. 68, No. 42, mm. 1-8………………………………... 64 19a. Remembrance, Op. 68, No. 28, mm. 1-10…………………………………. 67 19b. “Intermezzo,” from the Leiderkreis, Op. 39, No. 2, mm. 1-6……………... 67 20a. Op. 68, No. 21, mm. 1-4…………………………………………………... 68 20b. Beethoven, “Euch werde Lohn in bessern Welten” in Act II from Fidelio, mm. 1-6………………………………………………………….………… 68 21a. Op. 68, No. 21, mm. 14-18……………………………………………….... 69 21b. Fantasie, Op. 17, 1st movement, mm. 295-309……………………………. 69 22a. Soldier’s March, Op. 68, No. 2, mm. 1-12………………………………… 70 22b. Beethoven, “Spring Sonata” for piano and violin, Op. 24, 3rd movement, mm. 1-13…………………………………………………………………… 70 23. Northern Song, Op. 68, No. 41, mm. 1-4………………………………….. 71 24. Wintertime II, Op. 68, No. 39, mm. 1-6…………………………………… 72 25. Wintertime II, Op. 68, No. 39, mm. 25-32………………………………… 73 26. Wintertime II, Op. 68, No. 39, mm. 47-64………………………………… 74 27a. J.S. Bach, Peasant Cantata, BWV 212, No. 3, Recitative, mm. 4-9……… 74 27b. Papillons, Op. 2, finale, mm. 1-12………………………………………… 75 27c. Carnaval, Op. 9, finale, mm. 49-65……………………………………….. 75 28a. Einsame Blumen, Op. 82, mm. 1-7………………………………………... 81 28b. Verrufene Stelle, Op. 82, mm. 5-8………………………………………… 82 v 29a. Herberge, Op. 82, mm. 37-40……………………………………………... 82 29b. Freundliche Landschaft, Op. 82, mm. 1-5………………………………… 82 30a. Abschied, Op. 82, mm. 1-3………………………………………………... 83 30b. Herberge, Op. 82, mm. 1-2………………………………………………... 83 31a. Verrufene Stelle, Op. 82, mm. 33-35……………………………………… 83 31b. Vogel als Prophet, Op. 82, mm. 1…………………………………………. 84 32. Eintritt, Op. 82, mm. 1-4…………………………………………………... 85 33. Jäger auf der Lauer, Op. 82, mm. 1-4…………………………………….. 85 34. Schubert, “Frühlingsglaube,” D. 686, mm. 4-7……………………………. 86 35. Schubert, Waltz, from 34 Valses sentimentales, D. 779, No, 13, mm. 1-6… 87 36. Verrufene Stelle, Op. 82, mm. 1-8…………………………………………. 88 37a. Herberge, Op. 82, mm. 1-4………………………………………………... 89 37b. “Waldesgepräch,” from Liederkreis, Op. 39, No. 3, mm. 1-4……………... 89 38. Vogel als Prophet, Op. 82, mm. 1-5……………………………………….. 90 39. Abschied, Op. 82, mm. 1-6………………………………………………… 92 40a. Sonata No. 1, Op. 118, 3rd movement, mm. 1-4…………………………… 97 40b. Brahms, Clarinet Quintet, Op. 115, 3rd movement, mm. 1-4……………… 97 41. Sonata No. 1, Op. 118, 1st movement, mm. 1-4…………………………… 98 42. Sonata No. 1, Op. 118, 2nd movement, mm. 1-3…………………………... 98 43a. Sonata No. 1, Op. 118, 3rd movement, mm. 1-4…………………………… 99 43b.