Fantasy in C major (Schumann)

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Robert Schumann, 1839

The Fantasy in C major op. 17 is a piano composition by Robert Schumann published in 1839 , which is one of his most important works for the instrument. Begun in 1836 and completed in 1838, it is one of the composer's best-known pieces, alongside the Kreisleriana and children's scenes , and is part of the basic inventory of romantic piano literature. He dedicated it to Franz Liszt , the admired virtuoso, who thanked him years later by dedicating his great B minor sonata , which is also one of the peaks of the epoch.

The visionary momentum of this piano fantasy and the force sustained throughout the composition are reminiscent of Ludwig van Beethoven's architectural mastery , from whose song cycle An die ferne Geliebte Schumann quotes several times in the first movement, while in the third movement he quotes a theme from the Allegretto of the 7th Symphony takes up.

To the music

The wild spirit of Florestan is omnipresent in the first, forward-pressing and moving movement ( absolutely fantastic and passionate to perform ), the compositional climax of the work , while Eusebius is present in the calm flowing, pianistically simpler third movement up to the two climaxes that lead to a chorale theme seems to be.

The descending first theme, set in octaves, has the effect of an outcry - starting fortissimo - and is extraordinary in its urgency in Schumann's oeuvre. From bar 20, he contrasts it with the second theme in D minor , which also unfolds over the continuous sixteenth- note movement that conveys nervousness and wild excitement. The harmonious basis of the whirling accompanying figure is complex and can be understood as a mixed sound of dominant and subdominant . The main theme connects two quotations to a higher unity: The motif descending in the fifth interval is already known from the 3rd movement of the Piano Sonata op.14 ( Concert sans Orchester ), the Quasi Variazioni about an Andantino de Clara Wieck , while in the bars 15 - 18 the motif from Beethoven's cycle is presented, which is repeated in the coda.

The dedicatee Franz Liszt 1839, oil painting by Henri Lehmann

After wild upswings and interludes a central part surprised In Legendenton from bar 129 with an entirely own serious character, which can initially seem like a rest this section and the actual implementation replaced. This legend begins with a serious and memorable melody above a descending bass line in C minor , reminiscent of a ballad . In the further, rhythmically and harmonically more complex course, it is led over a huge increase up to the forte fortissimo of bars 204-212 and ends with a wide-spread dissonance held in the pedal in bar 215, which corresponds enharmonically to Wagner's Tristan chord and then after C minor is resolved. After a shortened recapitulation , a short and calm coda ( Adagio ) follows from bar 295 , in which Beethoven is quoted again.

The second movement ( Moderate. Thoroughly energetic ) is a festive march in E flat major, which receives its propulsive force from the powerfully arpeggiated chords on the left and the memorable rhythm. The march character of the whole piece is characterized by the diverse syncopated and dotted rhythms that can be derived from the material of the first bars, the arpeggios of the accompanying figure of the first bars, the dotted rhythms from bar 5 and the syncopation of bars 9 ff.

The section beginning with bar 22 is reminiscent of a gigue and in bars 59 - 74 is remotely reminiscent of the virtuoso final movement of the B flat major partita (BWV 825) by Johann Sebastian Bach . The exuberant, energetic development is interrupted from bar 114 by a somewhat quieter episode (a little slower ) in A flat major , until from bar 232 there is a wild coda, which, because of its intricate jumps of the hands in the opposite direction, leads to the great technical challenges of the Work heard.

The finale (carried slowly. To be kept quiet throughout ), a lyrical, intimate sound structure, with the slowly flowing triplet movement and its transfigured mood is a calm to solemn antipole to the previous events. From bar 30 Schumann leads over to the key of A flat major , which is related to the third, and introduces a new theme in bar 34, with which he again quotes Beethoven. Here he picks, harmonically and melodically rearranged, the upper part, carried by clarinet, oboe and horn, from the middle section of the Allegretto of the 7th Symphony and leads it twice (in bars 60–70 and 111–121) to grandiose increases forte fortissimo. With the second movement of the symphony, which is reminiscent of a funeral march , Schumann also occupied himself with his unfinished Beethoven Variations until 1835.

background

Schumann, who is well versed in literature, used a pantheistically inspired stanza by Friedrich Schlegel as the motto for his composition:

Through all tones resounds
In the colorful earth dream
A low tone drawn
For those who secretly listens

1830 was Symphonie Fantastique by Hector Berlioz premiered, a program-musical work that Schumann-reviewed in detail later. Following the contemporary development, he sought to bring literature and music together in an individual way , which is reflected above all in his piano music. He himself was genuinely critical of ideas about program music and wanted to use the distinctive, original headings of his piano music, such as in the children's scenes , to clarify the underlying poetic idea so that they can be understood as clues to grasp the content of the work.

The real poetic nature of his music stands between the influential Beethoven, who wanted to write poetry in tones , and the program music by Liszt and Berlioz. His fantasy gives the impression that Schumann wanted to recreate the model in the spirit of Florestan's enthusiasm.

His early piano works are extraordinarily original; alongside Frédéric Chopin and Franz Liszt, Schumann belongs to the so-called triumvirate of romantic piano music. As a lyricist of the piano, his melodies are casual and of simple beauty, at times delicate and veiled, while the piano setting is often intertwined in that accompaniment and melody are interwoven. A special feeling for dotted and complicated rhythm and polyphony enriches his works and the ever-present contrast between Florestan and Eusebius determines the poetic character.

Clara Wieck, 1838

Schumann himself valued his piano fantasy, which was already available as a sketch in 1836, as something special. In a letter dated March 19, 1838, he wrote to his bride Clara Wieck : “The first sentence is probably the most passionate thing I've ever done - a deep lament for you - the others are weaker, but they don't really need to be ashamed. "

The autobiographical background of the passionate, tense and troubled piece that is suggested in this way is emphasized by many biographers. In 1836 in particular, Schumann went through mental torments, which are also reflected in his letters to Clara: he had just confessed his love to her when he had to part with her again, because her strict father, the piano teacher Friedrich Wieck, intervened and the Wanted to prevent connection. So he sent his daughter on several tours and went so far as to dictate a letter to her, with which she returned the piano sonata in F sharp minor, Op. 11, dedicated to her, and the letters to Schumann. The fear of losing his beloved led to depression and nervous disorders. Against this background, the Beethoven quote is understandable (“Take them, then, these songs”), since Schumann uses it as a secret message to the “distant lover” Clara, who never performed the work in public during Schumann's lifetime.

Numerous renaming took place in the course of time. Schumann originally planned to publish his work under the title Great Sonata by Florestan and Eusebius and to overwrite the three movements with ruins , trophies and palm trees ; Another title was Obolen on Beethoven's monument , with which he responded to a call from Franz Liszt to promote the erection of a Beethoven monument in Bonn. With the proceeds from the three-movement sonata quasi una fantasia - based on Ludwig von Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14 and Piano Sonata No. 13 - he wanted to pay his obolus.

Interpretations

The work is an integral part of the concert literature and is by numerous pianists such as Géza Anda , Martha Argerich , Claudio Arrau , Vladimir Ashkenazy , Wilhelm Backhaus , Daniel Barenboim , Jorge Bolet , Alexander Brailowsky , Alfred Brendel , Clifford Curzon , Severin von Eckardstein , Sándor Falvai , Sergio Fiorentino , Annie Fischer , Edwin Fischer , Andor Foldes , Nelson Freire , Bernd Glemser , Marc-André Hamelin , Vladimir Horowitz , Stephen Hough , Wilhelm Kempff , Alicia de Larrocha , Murray Perahia , Maurizio Pollini , Walter Rehberg , Sviatoslav Richter , Charles Rosen , Artur Rubinstein , András Schiff , Burkard Schliessmann , Annerose Schmidt , Leonard Shure , Abbey Simon , Vladimir Sofronitzki , Grigory Sokolov , Mitsuko Uchida , Lars Vogt and Elisso Virsaladze added Service.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Martin Demmler: Robert Schumann and the musical romanticism , Eine Biographie, Artemis & Winkler, Mannheim 2010, p. 58
  2. ↑ Arnfried Edler : Fantasy in C major op.17 , works for piano two hands until 1840, in: Schumann-Handbuch, Metzler, Stuttgart, Weimar 2006, p. 238
  3. ↑ a b Arnfried Edler: Fantasy in C major op.17 , works for piano for two hands until 1840, in: Schumann-Handbuch, Metzler, Stuttgart, Weimar 2006, p. 239
  4. ↑ Arnfried Edler: Fantasy in C major, Op. 17 , works for piano two hands until 1840, in: Schumann-Handbuch, Metzler, Stuttgart, Weimar 2006, p. 240
  5. ↑ Schumann, Robert, Composers' Lexicon, Metzler, Stuttgart 2003, p. 567
  6. ↑ Robert Schumann, in: World of Music, Volume 5, Propylaen Verlag, Berlin 1989, p. 104
  7. ↑ Music in the past and present: Beethoven, Ludwig van, Volume 1, Bärenreiter-Verlag 1986, p. 1545
  8. ↑ The music in past and present, Schumann, Robert Alexander, Vol. 12, p. 303
  9. ↑ Music in the past and present: Schumann, Robert Alexander, Volume 21, Bärenreiter-Verlag 1986, p. 1986
  10. ↑ Ernst Hettrich: Foreword . In: Ernst Hettrich (Ed.): Robert Schumann, Fantasy in C major op.17 . Urtext. PDF, 317 KB, online . Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  11. ↑ Christoph Rueger: Fantasy in C major op. 17. In: Harenberg piano music guide, 600 works from the baroque to the present , Meyers, Mannheim 2004, p. 795