Essay on Schumann Piano Quartet Analysis

Music should be understood, but not at the expense of the performer creating a “right result” and in turn taking away from the listeners enjoyment of the work being presented.

On his return to Hamburg he ventured, on 21st September 1848, to give a concert on his own account for the first time. The programmed included the adagio and tondo from a concerto by Rosenhain, Dohler?s fantasy on William tell, a serenade for the left hand alone by his master, Marxsen, a study by the fashionable Henri Herz, a Bach fugue, and his own Variations on a Folksong. He early showed as love for the folksong of his fatherland, which he used as themes for some remarkable variations a musical form, by the

Section B follows a more erratic chord structure when the vocal melody is peaking on the vi-ii progression. This use of the minor second creates tension over two bars before eventually resolving to the C major.

Section one is introduced with a pedal solo which is used to maintain the rhythm of a ¾ pattern that is consistently present throughout the entire piece and initiates the ostinato theme. A significant part of section one can be distinguished in measure 33 where the melody of both hands shifts to the swell organ manual. Also, the melody switches again to the choir organ manual in measure 49.

In the second movement, the percussion section is more noticeable, especially at the beginning. This movement is also in D minor. The range of the melodic tune is dramatic. At times, I recognized the downbeat in three measures (da da da). This

This composition consists of three movements of which we will further examine movement II, Adagio Cantabile. This movement is placed in high contrast with the other two, particularly in tempo.

The dynamic increases to fortissimo at mm. 73 as the texture thins and harmony becomes very clear for a brief section. In this second closing theme G major, G augmented, and E minor7 in the bass are strongly arpeggiated before four octaves of C, D and G quickly reaffirm the key of G. This cadential crash is followed by some of the softest and lightest material of the whole movement, which due to the surrounding measures is proved to still be part of the second closing theme.

My life would be incomplete without performing music. I’ve spent time, in concert bands, in bell choirs, in school and church choirs, and singing, playing in music festivals, and in pit bands trying not to laugh my head off at the actors’ improvisations. But the art that truly speaks to my soul does not lie in creating music, it lies in dancing to it.

Through adding trumpets, bars 1-3 and bars 5-7 are the densest of Section A. This highlights the main repeated motif. Bars 3-5 and 7-11 are softer as these are the less important phrases of the section.

In sections, he contrasted from his pattern to get on the level of the reader to relay the message of the essay better. He does this deviation from his writing routine when he is in his narrative recollections of how he struggles to find the

I also enjoyed listening to this piece Fantasiestucke, Opus 88. This piece was played in Romanze and duet, and was performed by the pianist Luiza Borac, violinist Vladimir Dyo, and cellist Yves Dharamraj. After a deep sesearch about this piece I find out that the work was came at a happy time in the composer's life: Schumann had married his beloved Clara Wieck in 1840 after her father had made many attempts to thwart their matrimonial plans. The four pieces, or movements, comprising the trio are "Romanze," "Humoreske," "Duett," and Finale. During this program I feel that the "Romanze" opens in a tentative, mysterious mood, but then turns warmly Romantic, the piano dominating throughout. The "Duett" that follows, marked Slowly and with feeling, is for cello and violin, the piano providing a soft, running accompaniment to their passionate singing. The Finale, designated in March tempo, exhibits a heroic character at the outset, but turns lighter and more playful in succeeding variations. The main theme returns and the subdued, lively ending are sheer magic in its feathery nonchalance, its graceful instrumental exchanges,

The development starts very similarly to the exposition with the first violin part once again playing the sunrise theme with the only differences being the distribution of the motifs ‘x’ and ‘y’ (The opening sunrise theme of the exposition was in the order of motif ‘y-x-x’ then ‘x-x-y’ compared to the opening

The third movement - Adagio molto e cantabile - is quasi-variational similar and involves two themes: Adagio molto and Andante moderato. Both themes are of unsurpassed beauty. There is no link musically between the themes. Indeed it seems that contrast serves an important function in the movement as also seen in the two dramatic fanfares hear towards the end.

The cello and organ provide the basso continuo, following the figured bass. The modulation in bar 10 to A major ends in a V7 - I, providing strength to the piece. This differs from Sonata pian’e forte which is in the Dorian mode with lots of root position chords (bar 1 and 2) and suspensions (bar 3). The melody is mostly stepwise and the tierce de Picarrdie in bar 4 gives a sense of balanced phrasing. This is felt again in bar 8, due to the consonant 4th. The modal harmony in bar 13 creates an imperfect cadence to mark the end of the A1 section. An interesting phrygian cadence (IVb - V) is used in bar 16 leads into a short circle of 5ths (bar 17) and then a perfect cadence in F major with a 4-3 suspension (bar 20). This ‘busy-ness’ before cadences was not uncommon, due to the very expressive works that were composed in this era.

(2) Schubert was one of the most prominent composers in the Romantic era. He was the first composer to live off only the money he got from composing. He wrote many compositions during his short lifetime, especially art songs (“OnMusic”).