# Clementine's Corner



## Clementine (Nov 18, 2011)

Hi,
There was recently a post about the quality of musical discussions, which got me thinking as to what a quality musical discussion was. I'm a longtime viewer of this forum, and an occasional contributor, mostly in the 'current listening' thread. My posts there consist of small reviews of pieces I've recently become acquainted with. I've gotten a lot of positive feedback, so I thought I'd branch out and create a thread that would allow for more in depth discussion and reviews. This is not a 'latest discovery' thread, or a place to give quick recommendations, but a venue to talk about your favorite pieces, and what makes them so special. Feel free to give your own insights, and ask questions. I'm not all knowledgeable, but I am a music student and do have access to an absurd number of resources.

*Robert Schumann: Fantasie in C (1839)*

*Historical Background*
Written between 1836-9, the _Fantasie_ went through a number of revisions before becoming what we hear today. It was originally written as a tribute to Beethoven, with earnings from the piece intended to go towards constructing a statue of the composer. Schumann had planned to include a number of quotes by Beethoven, and it seemed this was to be a piece about Beethoven and his career. However, like _Davidsbündlertänze_, these programmatic inflections were toned down as more personal matters interfered. At the time this was written, Schumann was not yet married to Clara, but very much in love with her. Clara was away touring, and her sudden absence seems to be responsible for one of Schumann's greatest achievements; a work about longing, love, and consummation.

*Musical Breakdown *
As the composer himself acknowledged, the first movement is a musical longing for Clara. It begins in a haze, with a G7 chord in suspension. For those who are unmusical, think of the last two chords in almost every Mozart piece. A "G" to a "C" chord, or a "V-I" is the most common way for western music to cadence. And so when this piece begins with a suspended V chord in the key of C, we expect it to resolve fairly quickly. It does not.

In fact, despite this being a Fantasie in _C_, the first whiff of a C chord isn't until halfway through the exposition, and it's there for a split second. The first time we hear a completely consonant full on C major chord is in the recapitulation, around 10:35 in the video. And the first time the piece actually resolves into C major is at the coda. All throughout this Schumann keeps returning that G7 suspending figure. This is how he creates longing and tension. The entire movement is literally waiting to get to C major, waiting for Clara to come home. Even the main melody, a descending scale, references this; it starts on an A, goes down the scale, and stops and goes back up before reaching C.

When we finally do resolve into C major, at 11:21 in the video, we hear the one and only Beethoven quote, from _An die Ferne Geliebte_, or _To the Distant Beloved_. Clara, the distant beloved, whose return is represented by resolve to C major. C for Clara.

The second movement (12:56) is in the key of Eb, and sets up a relationship of intervals three notes apart (which becomes very important in the final movement). Clara has clearly come home, and this sections is a whirlwind of over the top joy and passion. This is about as Lisztian as Schumann's music gets, and Liszt also happens to be who the piece is dedicated to. It's difficult to tell if this music is meant to be sincere, or is perhaps a bit mocking, as if Schumann is saying there are better ways to express love in music. And that's where the third movement comes in.

The finale (21:11) opens with arpeggiated chords moving up by intervals of 3. It begins with a melancholy melody that is stretched out for minutes, all the while those arpeggiated figures interrupting here and there. It climbs higher and higher, comes to a conclusion and then... starts all over again, this time in a different key.

This is a structure unique to Schumann, where he goes straight from the exposition to the recapitulation, skipping the development. Instead he saves the development for the very end, so instead of having an ending that's conclusive, he creates one that becomes this sort of 'aha!' moment. Again, the repeated material climbs higher and higher, and reaches a conclusion in what could be the end of the work (around 29:49). But it goes on... builds up speed, and quite sneakily the arpeggiated figure returns, this time in harmony with the melody; the two are no longer separated. Suddenly the arpeggiated figure blossoms into one of the most beautiful moments in music. Each arpeggiation leaps to a different chord. Each chord has been heard independently, but up until now they have not been played in succession. It's as if the entire time he was going through this reflective state, slowly putting the pieces together, and at the end... it all clicks. He's in love.

[video=youtube;WCCfaPmSm2s&feature=related]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCCfaPmSm2s&feature=related[/video]


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## Clementine (Nov 18, 2011)

Also, did I embed the video incorrectly, or is it just my browser causing trouble? The link should be:


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Wow, thanks! I haven't gotten into Schumann's piano works much, so I appreciate your insights. I just have time for the first movement, but your comments are very helpful.


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