Schumann: The Songs
Myrthen, op. 25
With such musical equivalents of life and movement he can now animate poems about nature and fulfilled love, which is the central idea of his next cycle Myrthen, op. 25 (that is, myrtles or traditional bridal finery; they were his wedding present to Clara). The twenty-six poems were hand-picked for the purpose; and their significance perhaps goes even deeper than intended.
First we hear Schumann himself in the Florestan vein; independent, confident, active (Freisinn, Hochländers Abschied, Niemand). He was making money, gaining popularity, being more industrious than ever. But all this took its toll (“tired out”, “unwell”, “exhausted”, says the diary); and these equally characteristic feelings also infiltrate the music (Mein Herz ist schwer, Was will die einsame Träne?). In other moments of involuntary candour Schumann's choice of poem tells of his fondness for wine (Sitz' ich allein, Setze mir nicht) and women (Zwei Venetianische Lieder) as well as song. Rätsel shows his lifelong penchant for enigma. The text is a riddle to which the answer is “the letter H”. The voice's last word, “Hauch”, meaning a breath or an aspirate, is omitted so that the piano can have the last word—on the German note “H”.
EX 17
To this self-revelation Schumann adds his own vision of Clara: devoted (Lied der Suleika, Lieder der Braut), brave (Hauptmanns Weib), lonely (Die Hochländer-Witwe, Weit, weit), maternal (Hochländisches Wiegenlied, Im Westen), and above all beautiful, like a flower (Die Lotosblume, Du bist wie eine Blume). This last is in A flat major, Schumann’s ceremonial key (as also in e.g. Stirb', Lieb' and Freud'), conveying the tones of organ voluntary and marriage service. In the first and last songs these same tones offer a solemn harmonic unity; alpha and omega, till death do us part. Best of all perhaps is the sweet kernel of longing in the songs of separation and assuagement, Aus den östlichen Rosen and Der Nussbaum. In each we hear the piano part set free for a moment to make an image of leaves in springtime, just as in Jasminenstrauch (Ex. 9), and again this independent use of piano texture provides new expressive device.