Robert Schuman's Lieders Robert Schuman was born June 8, 1810 in Zwick

Robert Schuman was born June 8, 1810 in Zwickau, Germany, the son of a book publisher and writer. He showed early abilities in both music and literature, though he was not considered a prodigy by any means. His sister and father died tragically when he was sixteen, and he was then sent to the University of Leipzig, where he studied law until he was able to convince his mother of his need to study music. His works are noted for their links to literature, and many of his compositions allude to characters or scenes from poems, novels, and plays. His music thus has an intimate relationship with the written word, and this is certainly true of the songs he wrote, such as "Die alten b�sen Lieder."

This work (Op. 48, No. 16) was written in 1840. The song tells the story of a burial in a great coffin that is carried to the edge of the water and then heaved into the sea by twelve giants. It begins with a two-bar prelude of great strength, followed by the development of the vocal melody, which is stated in the left-hand octaves and implied in the right-hand figuration. The theme proclaims, repeats, and emphasizes the home key and keynote. The music begins in the tonic and then shifts to other keys to convey an insistence on the dominant both in its short-range and long-range harmony. This generates and then discharges tension just as the words refer to the twelve giants marching off in procession, accompanied by crashing chords as if from a full orchestra (Sams 122-123).

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Category: Arts - R