Schumann's poetic masterpiece

Divine inspiration and masterful technique come together in Schumann's Träumerei, op15 no7, to create a short but incredibly poetic masterpiece. Perhaps it's the childlike simplicity and innocence which gives it such charm and accessibility but upon careful analysis, the concise and detailed construction reveals itself as integral to the musical discourse. Schumann essentially only has one melody in the entire piece which undergoes a series of different harmonisations and variations, each time with added subtle touches of colour and neatly woven counterpoint imitations.
What I find particularly interesting in the music, which I find not often talked about, is the use of suspension in time. Every phrase begins with an ascending fourth followed by a long note which creates a sort of suspension in time. Schumann makes the listener wait. The melodic line then climbs up slowly over the same chord; essentially we don't hear any movement for quite a while. This gentle stretching and pulling of phrases seems to create the dreamy-kind of landscape that Schumann wanted to evoke. Horowitz in this recording seems to take advantage of that, choosing a particularly slower tempo and employs a rubato that emphasises the suppleness of time in this piece.
Recording (Horowitz): • Schumann - Träumerei, ...

[@penpow]

I'm glad that you used H's recording... Absolutely wonderful

[@skylarlimex]

Absolutely

[@jtbasener8740]

You may noticed at those long drawn-out pinnacles, the notes follow the pattern of C - A - A. Schuman loved hiding messages in his music, so it is not an uncommon belief that he hid the name of his beloved bride Clara in this piece (C - l - A - r - A). It is almost as if even in his most simple and child-like of dreams, his calling her name wells out so naturally and all of time seems to freeze when she comes to thought. Simply gorgeous. It has rightly earned a place of Schuman's most famous piece.

[@RCEmichaelreavey]

Thank you for this information

[@jtbasener8740]

@@RCEmichaelreavey Certainly!

[@e.conboy4286]

Hello… it is heartwarming to view such pleasantries among the comments! I hope it is contagious! you made my day. 🎼🎹🎶🎶🎶❤️

[@jtbasener8740]

@@e.conboy4286 I am warmed to know that we can make UA-cam comment sections a kinder place.

[@margarethansen7480]

Inspiring music and lovely analysis❤ thanks for that

[@zingusmobile]

these sorts of videos are always so captivating to watch. i'm always so impressed with how you're able to apply your knowledge on theory to so many different pieces! i hope to someday be able to replicate this in my own ways, regardless if i post it to youtube or not. thank you always for these videos!

[@Mazurking]

Thank you! An incredible piece indeed,

[@CanelonVegano]

lovely

[@garodueng]

I love these videos. Do you think you could analyze the first few minutes of Mahler 9 next? It sounds so beautiful and I wanted to know what it looks like from a harmonic perspective

[@skylarlimex]

I might think about it! But I'll probably do the slow movement of mahler 4 first...

[@worldmusictheory]

There is a video of Horowitz playing this song to a Russian audience during the repression of the Soviet Union and it pans to an older man in the audience listening intently with tears falling down his face.

[@spam-kb8py]

Understandable. Beautiful piece. I wonder how un-repressed he felt in the rampant poverty after the Soviet Union fell?

[@worldmusictheory]

@@spam-kb8py Not being under the thumb of a Jewish bolshevik system is worth it.

[@spam-kb8py]

@@worldmusictheory Oh dang mask's off you're next level fascistic propagandized!
To any else who may see this, even a quick google search will tell you that "Jewish Bolshevism" is one of many unfortunately persisting myths created by the actual Nazi's used to justify their WWII invasion! Another lovely example here of anti-left sentiment and propaganda showing its true face (open apathy towards actual poverty and open hatred towards other ethnic groups).
Enjoy the Schumann.

[@spam-kb8py]

@@worldmusictheory Oh dang mask's off you're next level propagandized!
For anyone else who may read this, even a quick google search will tell you that "Jewish Bolshevism" was an obviously anti-semitic term invented by the actual N@@tsees as justification for their WWII invasion. Yet another prime example of anti-left sentiments and propaganda showing its true face (open apathy towards actual poverty and open hatred towards other ethnic groups).
Enjoy the Schumann.

[@spam-kb8py]

(Not to mention the fact that the term is a blatantly false conspiracy)

[@fewu816]

why do you write I64 instead of V64?

[@skylarlimex]

Good question. Simply put, I was taught that way and I find it easier to identify. The problem with my form of notation is that figured bass isn't actually separated from the Roman numerals so some might find it confusing to call it a V chord and see different notes. I'm still considering changing my practice to V64 though but we'll see.

[@fewu816]

@@skylarlimex i mean it functions as a dominant chord right? It's dissonant because the bass note is a fourth apart from the next higher note. We write V64 because the third and fifth are elevated by one step. The chord is (as usual) followed by a regular V35 (with an added 7.) The 4 steps down to 3 and the 6 steps down to 5, and it's still a V chord. For figured bass we would just write 64 because figured bass always counts from the bass note, and the bass note here is the 5th step in the F-major scale.

[@skylarlimex]

@@fewu816 yes of course, yet the problem of seeing V and expecting the notes G C E arises...

[@MuseMako]

Which piece is that?

[@nathanbegel4505]

Written in the description 👍