Fantasy Pieces examines from several vantage points a vital life-force of Robert Schumann's music, namely metrical conflict. Harald Krebs's imaginative yet rigorous study makes use of Schumann's fascinating projections of his own personality--the characters Florestan and Eusebius--as one means of addressing the biographical and aesthetic context of the music.In counterpoint with the remarks of these personae, Krebs develops an original theory of metrical conflict by adapting the concepts of consonance and dissonance to metrical analysis. He investigates how states of metrical dissonance arise, and shows how they are manipulated and resolved in the course of compositions. He offers new methods for understanding the metrical progressions of entire works or movements, and studies the interaction of metrical conflict with form, with pitch structure, and with the texts of Schumann's vocal works. Krebs includes a wealth of illustrations from the whole range of Schumann's work and offers numerous insights important for performance. In the final chapter, he provides richly detailed studies of pieces by Schumann in various genres, interspersing them with shorter discussions of music by Berlioz, Chopin, Clara Schumann, Ives, and Schoenberg.This is a book that will appeal not only to students and scholars of music theory, but to all musicians interested in the life, work, and unique personality of Robert Schumann.
Author(s): Harald Krebs
Edition: First Edition
Year: 1999
Language: English
Pages: 304
Contents......Page 14
Promenade through the Town of Euphonia......Page 18
Waldscene: Ideas of Metrical Conflict in the Twentieth Century......Page 28
Layers of Motion......Page 37
Interaction of Layers......Page 44
Resultant Rhythms......Page 54
Relationships between Dissonances......Page 56
Distinctions between Dissonances......Page 60
THREE: Intermezzo I: Influences on Schumann's Metrical Style......Page 80
Metrical Progressions......Page 97
Metrical Maps......Page 100
Metrical Processes......Page 101
FIVE: Intermezzo II: Metrical Revisions......Page 132
SIX: Interactions of Metrical Dissonance with Pitch Structure, Form, and Extramusical Elements......Page 157
Interactions of Metrical Dissonance with Form and Pitch Structure......Page 158
Metrical Dissonance and Text......Page 171
Meanings of Metrical Dissonance in Instrumental Music......Page 186
SEVEN: Intermezzo III: Performing Metrical Dissonances......Page 192
"Valse française" (Hector Berlioz, "Un bal," from Symphonie, fantastique)......Page 202
"Mètres Dansants" (Robert Schumann, Intermezzi op. 4)......Page 207
"Chopin" (Frédéric Chopin, various works)......Page 214
"Répliques" (Robert Schumann, Scherzo in F Minor)......Page 218
"Chiarina" (Clara Schumann, Piano Trio op. 17, second movement)......Page 224
"Valses contre les Philistins" (Robert Schumann, Faschingsschwank aus Wien op. 26, first movement)......Page 228
"Kreisler jun." (Johannes Brahms, Piano Sonata op. 5, first movement)......Page 234
"Eusebius" (Robert Schumann, String Quartet op. 41 no. 2, second movement)......Page 239
"Blumenstück" (Charles Ives, "Two Little Flowers")......Page 247
"Florestan" (Robert Schumann, Symphony no. 3 op. 97, first movement)......Page 251
"Pierrot" (Arnold Schoenberg, "Valse de Chopin" from Pierrot lunaire)......Page 259
Epilogue: Morning Song......Page 264
D......Page 268
P......Page 269
W......Page 270
Notes......Page 271
Bibliography......Page 290
List of Cited Works by Robert Schumann......Page 297
B......Page 300
H......Page 301
M......Page 302
S......Page 304
Z......Page 305
