Schumann's Eichendorff Liederkreis and the genre of the romantic cycle - Ferris, David (Oxford University Press, 2000)
Includes bibliographical references
Using Schumann's "Eichendorff Liederkreis" as the primary example, this work sheds new light on the structure of 19th-century song cycles and on Schumann's particular response to the problem of musical coherence in large scale works. Drawing on analysis, literary criticism, and source studies, this book argues for a new conception of the 19th-century song cycle. Rather than a unified whole, the cycles are seen as a fragmentary and open-ended form that enabled Schumann to express the romantic themes of transcendence and ineffability in musical terms. The book begins with a general discussion of the cycle as a genre. The heart of the book is a series of closely argued analyses of five of the Eichendorff songs, with particular attention on the relationship between text and music. Ferris concludes by setting the Liederkreis within the context of Schumann's other 1840 song cycles
Keywords: Schumann, Robert / 1810-1856 / Liederkreis / op. 39; Eichendorff, Joseph / Freiherr von / 1788-1857 / Mises en musique / Histoire et critique; Eichendorff, Joseph / 1788-1857 / Freiherr von / Musical settings / History and criticism; Schumann, Robert / 1810-1856 / Liederkreis / Musical settings / History and criticism; Eichendorff, Joseph / Freiherr von / 1788-1857; Schumann, Robert -- 1810-1856 -- Liederkreis -- op. 39; Eichendorff, Joseph -- Freiherr von -- 1788-1857 -- Musical settings -- History and criticism; Schumann, Robert -- 1810-1856 -- Liederkreis nach Joseph Freiherrn von Eichendorff; Cycles de mélodies / Histoire et critique; MUSIC / Instruction & Study / Voice; MUSIC / Printed Music / Piano-Vocal-Guitar; Liederen; Romantiek; Liederkreis (Schumann, Robert); Musical settings; Song cycles; Song cycles -- History and criticism