Dichterliebe


Dichterliebe, A Poet's Love, is the best-known song cycle by Robert Schumann. The texts for its 16 songs come from the Lyrisches Intermezzo by Heinrich Heine, written in 1822–23 and published as part of Heine's Das Buch der Lieder. Along with the song cycles of Franz Schubert, Schumann's form the core of the genre in musical literature.

Song cycle

Das Buch der Lieder was given its second edition, with preface from Paris, in 1837, the songs were composed in 1840, and the first edition of Dichterliebe was published in two volumes by Peters, in Leipzig, in 1844. In the original 1840 version with the 20 songs, the cycle had the following, longer title: "Gedichte von Heinrich Heine – 20 Lieder und Gesänge aus dem Lyrischen Intermezzo im Buch der Lieder ".
Though Schumann originally set 20 songs to Heine's poems, only 16 of the 20 were included in the first edition. Dein Angesicht is one of the omitted items. Auf Flügeln des Gesanges, On Wings of Song, is best known from a setting by Felix Mendelssohn.
The famed introduction to the first song, Im wunderschönen Monat Mai, is a direct quotation from Clara Wieck-Schumann's Piano Concerto in A minor. It comes from the third beat of measure 30 through the second beat of measure 34 of the second movement. Robert uses the same key, same melodic pattern, similar accompaniment textures, tempo and rhythmic patterns in measures 1 through 4 of the opening to Dichterliebe.
The poems' very natural, almost hypersensitive affections are mirrored in Schumann's settings, with their miniaturist chromaticism and suspensions. The poet's love is a hothouse of nuanced responses to the delicate language of flowers, dreams and fairy tales. Schumann adapts the poems' text to his needs, sometimes repeating phrases and often rewording a line to supply the desired cadence. Dichterliebe is therefore an integral artistic work apart from the Lyrisches Intermezzo, though derived from and inspired by it. Schubert's selection of lyrics for his Heine songs sought different themes.
Although often associated with the male voice, Dichterliebe was dedicated to the soprano Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient, so the precedent for performance by female voice is primary. The first complete public recital of the work in London was given by Harry Plunket Greene, accompanied from memory by Leonard Borwick, on 11 January 1895 at London's St James's Hall.

Songs

  1. Im wunderschönen Monat Mai.
  2. Aus meinen Tränen sprießen.
  3. Die Rose, die Lilie, die Taube, die Sonne.
  4. Wenn ich in deine Augen seh.
  5. Ich will meine Seele tauchen.
  6. Im Rhein, im heiligen Strome.
  7. Ich grolle nicht.
  8. Und wüßten's die Blumen, die kleinen.
  9. Das ist ein Flöten und Geigen.
  10. Hör' ich das Liedchen klingen.
  11. Ein Jüngling liebt ein Mädchen.
  12. Am leuchtenden Sommermorgen .
  13. Ich hab' im Traum geweinet.
  14. Allnächtlich im Traume.
  15. Aus alten Märchen winkt es. "
  16. Die alten, bösen Lieder.

    Recordings

These are some landmarks among the many recordings of Dichterliebe: