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LindsayPopeMUTH5360June25,2018
AbsenceasPresence:AnAnalysisofSchumann’s“ImwunderschönenMonatMai”
Composedin1840,RobertSchumann’sDichterliebe(Opus48)setsselected
poemsfromHeinrichHeine’sLyrischesIntermezzo.Thefirstpiece,“Im
wunderschönenMonatMai,”establishesanemotionalframeworkfortheentire
cycle—theexplorationoflove’sabsence.Thenarrator,whospeaksinthefirst
personfromthepresentmoment,recountsapastromanticexperience(see
Example1):
ImwunderschönenMonatMai,AlsalleKnospensprangen,DaistinmeinemHerzenDieLiebeaufgegangen.ImwunderschönenMonatMai,AlsalleVögelsangen,DahabichihrgestandenMeinSehnenundVerlangen.
InthewonderfullybeautifulmonthofMay,Whenallthebudswerebursting,Thenitwasinmyheart(that)Loveroseup.InthewonderfullybeautifulmonthofMay,Whenallthebirdssang,ThenIconfessedtoherMyyearningandmydesire.
Example1.HeinrichHeine,“ImwunderschönenMonatMai,”Translation.
IthinkthatSchumann’ssettingofHeine’spoetryreinforcescertainaspectsof
thetext,butultimatelyaltersandaddsuponHeine’scontent.WhileHeine’spoem
hasarepetitivequality—expressedthroughmeter,rhythm,andstructure—
Schumann’ssettingisreiterative.1Thecomposerusesrepeatedmotives,harmony,
andmelodytocreateafragmented,circularstructurethatisultimatelymorepainful
thanthepoem’sinitialmeaning.Schumannsuggests,throughtonalambiguityanda
latentkeyarea,thecompleteabsenceofthenarrator’slove.Idonotfeelthatthis
1Iamusingthedefinitionsof“repetitive”and“reiteration”thatwereceivedinclass.Repetition
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absenceisexplicitinthepoemitself.Theaimofthispaperistoexplorethewayin
whichSchumann’ssettingsubtlyexpressesHeine’stextwhilealsocreatingthis
additionallayerofmeaning.
Thepoem,intwoquatrains,isiniambictetrameter(seeExample2).2In
quatrain#1,thefirstlineestablishesarhythmicexpectationoffourcompletefeet
perline;line1endsonthestressedsyllable“Mai.”However,thesecondlineis
incomplete.Thefinalstressedsyllableisnotspoken,butratherisimpliedthrougha
pause.3Onemightthenexpectthemeteroflines1and2torepeatforlines3and4,
withfourcompletefeetinline3and3½feetinline4.Thisstrikesmeasavery
familiarrhymescheme;theregularityoftheversewouldcreateabalanceand
wholenesstothepoem’srhythmicstructure.Heineinsteadoptsforlines3and4to
alsobeincomplete,withimpliedpausesaftertheunstressedsyllables.Thefactthat
therhythmisiambicisnotuncommongiventhelanguage;however,itmeansthat
thepauseisalwaysonastressedsyllable,givingextraweighttothesilence.
Quatrain#1:
Line1Line2Line3Line4
Quatrain#2:
Line5Line6Line7Line8
ImwunderschönenMonatMai,AlsalleKnospensprangen,/DaistinmeinemHerzen/DieLiebeaufgegangen./ImwunderschönenMonatMai,AlsalleVögelsangen,/Dahabichihrgestanden/MeinSehnenundVerlangen./
Endrhyme:abxbabxb
Example2.HeinrichHeine,“ImwunderschönenMonatMai,”
AnalysisofStructure,Meter,andRhyme.
2InExample2,Ihaveindicatedstressedsyllablesthroughboldfontwiththemoststressedsyllableinitalics.Allsyllablesinregularfrontareunstressed.3InExample2,Ihaveinserted“/”whereIfeelthispausetoexistnaturallyinthepoem’srhythm.
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Theextremeasymmetryofthemeterevokesanimbalanceand
incompletenessthatthereaderfeels,andwishestoberectified.Quatrain#2repeats
thesamepattern.Thisrepetitionaddssignificanceasthereaderyearnsfor
conclusion,butstilldoesnotreceiveit.ThistechniqueaffirmsMeyer’stheoryin
music,whichcertainlyalsoappliestopoetry:“…musicarousesexpectations,some
consciousandothersunconscious,whichmayormaynotbedirectlyand
immediatelysatisfied”(Meyer25).Meyerwouldfurtherarguethatthedelayin
gratificationiswhatcreatesthestrongestemotionalreaction.
Bothquatrainsutilizethesamerhymescheme:a-b-x-b.Asopposedtoan
EnglishorItaliansonnetstructure,whichhasabuilt-inconclusion,thisfolk-like
rhymeschemecreatesasenseofcontinuum.Ratherthanthispoemexistingasa
completeidea,therhymeschemeimpliesadropping-in,asifthepoemexisted
beforeitbeganandwillcontinueonafterwespeakit.Thisconceptparallels
Romanticidealsofutilizingfolkartasinspirationfor“high-class”art.The
continuousqualityevokedconnectsthereadertoahigherSource,perhapseternity.
Italsofurtherevokestheyearninginherentinthetext’smeaning.
Bothquatrainscontainthesamemeterandrhymescheme,andalsoimplya
parallelstructure.Theintroductorylinesofeachquatrain,lines1and5,amplifythis
parallelstructure.Theyareareexactreiterations.Bothquatrainsalsosharea
grammaticalframework.Thequestionthenbecomes—evenasHeinecreatesmany
connectionsbetweenthetwoquatrainsintermsofpoeticorganization,howdothey
differ?Ibelievethatthemaindifference,whileobvious,isthesubjectmatter.
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Thepersonalexperienceofthenarratorisextremelydifferentinthefirst
stanzaversusthesecond(seeExample1).Thenarratorusesimagesfromthe
naturalworldtoevokethesecontrastingmoments.Inthefirststanza,thenarrator
comparesthebloomingflowersinMaytothelovethatpowerfullyemergedinhis
heart.Inthesecondstanza,thesingingbirdsinMayareusedtorepresentthe
vocalizationofhislove—theoutwardexpressionofhislongingandhisdesire.In
thefirststanza,thenarratorhasaninternalexperience,andinthesecond,an
externalexperience.Abloomingflowerisamuchquieterimagethanasingingbird.
Thecontrastisinfactshocking,andthereisnothingcircularaboutthisaspectofthe
poem.
Heineisconcernedwiththenarrator’sinnerpsychology,apsychologythatI
believedevelopsoverthecourseofthepoem.Hisinnerdesiremustultimatelyburst
openandbeexpressed.Thepauseswherestressedsyllablesareabsentcouldthen
beinterpretedasanupwardmovingofbreath,aninnerexcitementthatcanno
longerbecontained.Forme,Heine’spoemcreatesatrajectoryfromINSIDEà
OUTSIDE.WhatisnotclearfromHeine’spoemishowtheobjectofhisdesire
responds.Didshereciprocatehislove,ordidsherejecthim?ForHeine’spurposes,I
don’tthinkitmatters.Heineisconcernedonlyfortheexperienceofthenarrator.
Incontrast,Schumann’sinterpretationofthepoemisveryinterestedinhow
theloverresponds.Theentiresettingcentersonadepictionoflove’sabsence.This
isnottheabsencethatHeinedepicts—ayearningforone’slover—butrathera
permanentabsence—alovethatnolongerexists,andhasn’tforawhile.Schumann
impliesthroughhismusicalsettingthatthewomanisnolongerinthenarrator’s
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life.Itisnotcleartomewhetherthewomanisabsentthroughrejection,distance,or
death;butthepermanentabsenceiswhatSchumanncaresmosttoevoke.
BeforeexploringhowSchumanncreatesanadditionalmeaningwithin
Heine’spoem,IwouldliketobrieflytouchuponwaysthatSchumann’ssettingdoes
expressHeine’sintent.Schumannisinterestedinexpressingtheyearning,longing,
anddesirethatthenarratorexpresses.Theseemotionalstatessuggestadistance
betweenthenarratorandhislove.Asdiscussedpreviously,Heinedepictsthis
distancethroughincomplete4-footiambictetrameterinthefinalthreelinesofeach
quatrain.Schumannfurtheremphasizesthisdistancethroughtheaccompaniment,
whichincludesplentifulnon-chordtones,specificallysuspensionsand
diatonic/chromaticneighbors.Theveryfirstnotesoundedinthepiece(pickuptom.
1,seeExample3)introducesa9-8suspensiononbminor-6.Thesecond16thnotein
thelefthandisachromaticleadingtone,anA#thatresolvesimmediatelytoB(7-8).
ThismomentremindsmeoftheintroductiontoSchubert’s“DerLeiermann”—a
briefchromaticmomentinthelefthandthatexpressesa“realityeffect”throughthe
starting-upofthehurdy-gurdy.Similarly,Schumannmaybeevokinga“reality
effect”ofthenarrator’sincompleteness,orthestrugglewithinhissituation.
Example3.RobertSchumann,“ImwunderschönenMonatMai,”m.1-4,Non-chordtones.
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Schumannleadsintom.2withadescendingmotiveintherighthandonG#-
F#-E#.TheG#whichcouldbeheardasanon-chordtone,orasuggestedharmony
(g#half-diminishedseventh)thatisnotresolved.(Iwilldiscussthismomentarily.)
Inm.2,another7-8soundsonbeat1inthelefthand.Attheendofthemeasure,
diatonicneighbortonesresolvetoaC#.ThisC#isthencarriedoverthebarlineto
becomeanother9-8suspensioninb.Thepatternrepeats.
Tome,thisintroductorypattern,whichisrepeatedasaninterlude(m.12-
15)andapostlude(m.23-26),expressesHeine’simagesofboththebursting
flowersandthesingingbirds.Theupwardarpeggiationofthelefthandrepresents
theflowersopening,whiletherighthandsuspensionfollowedbythedescending3-
notefigureatattheendofthebarrepresentsabirdcall.Thenon-chordtonesin
bothpartsevoketheyearningofthenarratorthatisexpressedthroughthese
images.(Theseare“emo”flowersandbirds.)Theseaccompanimentalexpressions
arepivotalmomentsthatnotonlyevoketheimagesthemselves,butinSchumann’s
mind,howtheseimagesrepresentlove’sabsence.Theflowers’andbirds’presence
remindthenarratorofwhathedoesnothave.Schumannachievesthis
compositionallythroughbothtonalambiguityandthesuggestionoflatent
harmoniesthatareneverabletosound.
Inthefirstfourbarsofthepiece,thelistenerhearstwochordsrepeatedina
2+2phrasestructure:bminorinfirstinversionfollowedbyC#Majordominant
seventh.Throughthisprogression,Schumanncreatescertainharmonic
expectationsthatintentionallyconfusethelistener.First,theG#attheendofm.1
thatsoundsoverthebminorchordsuddenlysuggestsag#half-diminishedseventh
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chordthatonemightexpecttoresolvetoAMajor(seeExample3).Giventhekey
signatureofthepiece,thisseemsquitepossible.However,Schumanndoesn’tgo
there.Rather,theG#foreshadowsthefifthscaledegreeofC#Major-7.TheC#7
chordthensuggestsaneventualresolutiontof#minor.Schumanndoesn’tgothere
either.Instead,heshiftsbacktobminor,andthepatternrepeats.Atthismoment,it
isnotclearwhetherSchumannwishesthelistenertohearthepieceisAMajororf#
minor.Theambiguityevokesthenarrator’sinnerturmoil.Therepetitionsuggests
theincessantrememberingofhislove’sabsence.
Atthebeginningofboththefirstandsecondverses,Schumanndoesresolve
toAMajor(m.6andm.17)asthenarratorsingstheintroductoryremark,“Inthe
wonderfullybeautifulmonthofMay.”Itisthefirstcadentialmomentinthepiece.I
thinkthisshiftinmodalitytoAMajorrepresentsboththebeautyofMayaswellasa
timewhenthenarratorwashappy.However,eventhisAMajorisobtrudedbya4-3
suspensioninaninnervoice(seeExample4).Whileonthesurfacethenarratorwas
happyatthismoment,underneaththismemoryhisangstremains.The4-3
suspensionalsosuggeststhatperhapsAMajorisnotthepiece’stonalcenter,as
thereisneveramomentwherewefullyresolvethere.Infact,Schumannavoids
resolutionwitha4-3-5movementthatresultsinanopen5thonbeat2ofthe
measure(seeExample4).
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Example4.RobertSchumann,“ImwunderschönenMonatMai,”m.5-6.
Theclearestindicatortomethatthepieceisinf#minor—asonoritythat
neversounds,bytheway—aretheconsistentC#7chordsthatframethework.The
mosttellingofthesemomentsisthefinalmeasure(m.26),forwhichSchumann
placesthefinalfermataontheseventhscaledegreeofC#Major(seeExample5).
Theseventhscaledegreelingersonandfurtherpronouncesthenarrator’slonging
to“resolve.”Itisthroughthestrongsuggestionoff#minorbutultimatelyits
absencefromthepiecethatSchumannexpressestheabsenceofthenarrator’slove.
Example5.RobertSchumann,“ImwunderschönenMonatMai,”m.25-26.
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WhileIhavenowestablishedthatthepieceisinf#minor,Schumannalso
explorestonicizationsinotherkeyareasforhissettingofthesecondhalfofeach
quatrain.(Forsimplicity,IwillrefertoVerse1measurenumbers,knowingthat
thesemomentsarealsoapplicableforVerse2).Afterthealmost-resolutiontoA
Majorinm.5-8,Schumannsuddenlyshiftstoatonicizationofbminorfollowedbya
tonicizationinDMajor(seeExample6).Thesecadentialpatternsactuallyechothe
introduction—iv-V7movementintherespectivekeyarea—andprovidefurther
claritythatultimatelythepieceisinf#minor(animplication-realizationmoment!).
ThedifferencebetweenthesecadencesandtheintroductionisthatSchumann
actuallyallowsthesecadencestoresolve.Tome,thesequenceoftonalareas
exploredthroughtheverses—AMajortobminortoDMajor—suggestsan
expressivetonality.Theriseofthekeyareascreatesasenseofanticipationthat
echoesthetext’ssentiment:“Thenitwasinmyheart(that)loveroseup.”
Prelude(m.1-4)
m.1 m.2 m.3 m.4b6 C#7 b6 C#7f#:iv V7 iv V72 2
Verse1(m.5-12)&Verse2(m.16-23)m.5m.16
m.6m.17
m.7m.18
m.8m.19
m.9m.20
m.10m.21
m.11m.22
m.12m.23
b6–E7 A b6–E7 A e6–F#7 b g-A7 D--bf#:iv6-V7/IIIA:ii6-V7
IIII
A:ii6-V7 I b:iv-V7 i D:iv-V7
I–vi
4(2+2) 4(2+2)
• DifferencesbetweenVerses1&2:Longercrescendoinm.22(comparewithm.11)
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Interlude(m.12-15)&Postlude(m.23-26)m.12m.23
m.13m.24
m.14m.25
m.15m.26
D-b C#7 b C#7f#:VI-iv V iv V2 2
• DifferencesbetweenInterlude&Postlude:ritardandoinm.24,fermatasinm.26Example6.RobertSchumann,“ImwunderschönenMonatMai,”
Harmonic,RomanNumeral,andPhraseAnalysis. Throughouttheserisingtonicizations,IfindSchumann’ssettingoftheb
minorchordinm.10fascinating(seeExample7).Notonlydoesitincludechromatic
movementinthearpeggiationwith#4-5followed7-8,buttheuppergnaturalat
theendofthemeasurestrikestheearasunusualaftertheestablishedG#’soverab
minorchordintheintroduction.Schumannisusingthegnaturaltoforeshadowthe
gminorinfirstinversiontofollow.ButSchumannalsousesthegnaturaltocontrast
thestepwiseascenttog#inm.12.Thegnaturalmakestheg#thatfollowsmore
significant,andbringsoutthereturntomusicalmaterialtofurtheremphasizethe
music’scircularity.ThiscircularityisfurtheremphasizedbySchumann’sexact
reiterationofthemusicfromVerse1toVerse2(seeExample6).
Example7.RobertSchumann,“ImwunderschönenMonatMai,”m.9-12.
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Therepeatofmusicforbothversesofpoetryseemsnaturalgiventheparallel
structureofthepoem.Myquestionthenbecomes,doesSchumannacknowledgethe
differenceinsubjectmatterbetweenthetwoverses?Doesheexpresstheshiftfrom
inwardtooutwardthatthenarratornaturallyportrays?Theanswerisyes,butina
waythatwouldbebarelyrecognizableunlessthesingeremphasizedit.Thesingle
differenceIcouldfindbetweenthetwoversesisinthelengthofthecrescendoinm.
11versusthecomplementarymusicinm.22(compareExample7withExample8).
Theriseofthevocallineinmeasures9,11,and20isaccompaniedbyacrescendo
onthesecondhalfofthemeasure.Incontrast,Schumannwritesacrescendoover
theentiretyofmeasure22.Ithinkthisalternativeexpressivemarkingispivotal.Itis
theonlywaythatSchumannacknowledgestheshiftinexpressionbetweenHeine’s
twoquatrains.Thelongcrescendonaturallyevincesthenarrator’s“longingand
desire.”Withoutacknowledgementofthiscrescendo,Schumanntrulyisexpressing
solelyacircular,fragmenteddepictionofthenarrator’swoes.
Example8.RobertSchumann,“ImwunderschönenMonatMai,”m.21-22.
ThereiscertainlyayearningthatisinnateinHeine’spoem,andSchumann
takesthisyearningtoanotheremotionallevelinhismusicalsetting.WhileHeine’s
poemhasaparallelstructure,thesubjectmatterportraysfirstaninnerthanan
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outwardperspective.WhileHeine’spoemisrepetitive,Schumann’ssetting,withthe
exceptionofalonecrescendo,isreiterative.Schumannsetsamonotonous
experience—aworldinwhichthemalesuitorrecountsoverandoverhislovefor
andprofessionofloveforthiswoman.Thiscirculardepictionisnotdeveloping
somewhere;itremindsmeofsomeonewhoisrepeatedlyhittingtheirheadagainst
thewall.Itisreiterativelypainfulanddepressing.
WhileSchumannisclearlya19thcenturyRomanticcomposer,hissettingof
“ImwunderschönenMonatMai”suggestsalooseningofsubordinatemusical
principles,andaforeshadowingofbi-tonal,coordinativestructures.Thereiterative
qualityofthisworksoundsalmostlikeapre-cursortoJohnAdams’minimalism.The
nuanceddifferencesbetweenHeine’spoemandSchumann’ssettingmightdepicta
shiftinpsychologythatwasoccurringthroughoutthe19thcentury;ashiftthat
ultimatelyledtomusic’sre-structuring.
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WorksCited
Meyer,Leonard.(1956)EmotionandMeaninginMusic.Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress.
