Schumann's "Kreislerian" as a revelation of a genius soul

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The work of Robert Schumann is associated with his worldview and perception of the world, which he passed through feelings. The great composer considered spiritual impulses to be the driving force of the universe, while thinking was given a small role and importance. That is why all his works are so deep, emotional and sensual, one of them was the famous "Kreisleriana" by Schumann.

Birth of a genius

The future author of great works was born in the small town of Zwickau in the family of a book publisher. Having become the fifth child in the family, the boy had to continue his father's work, at least that's what his parents dreamed about. From a young age, they instilled in the boy a love of reading, and in the end they managed to do it. But a chance visit to a concert by pianist Moscheles forever changed something in Robert's mind.

Taking piano lessons and dreaming of the opportunity to play music freely, Schumann could not deceive the expectations of his parents. That is why he didat the Faculty of Law, comprehended the wisdom of science there. Only a meeting with the famous Friedrich Wieck helped him start a new path. He managed not only to help the guy in improving the technique of the game, but also to break the resistance of strict parents, only fate had its own plans for a talented young man.

After a severe hand injury, Schumann had to forget about playing music and concerts forever. But he could not give up creativity, so he concentrated on composing music, combining it with journalism.

Marriages are made in heaven

Faithful companion for many years for a gifted writer was his teacher's beloved daughter Clara Wieck, a former outstanding pianist. Upon learning of the choice of a talented heiress, Friedrich changed his attitude towards a potential son-in-law. He did not consider him capable of providing the girl with everything necessary. But the aspiring pianist broke off relations with relatives for the sake of love, becoming for the chosen one not only a wife and mother, but also a muse. She raised their eight children, performed in concerts and never reproached her beloved husband.

Features of talent

Schumann managed to designate his piano works as concisely as possible, giving them a name based on the central leitmotif. He worked selflessly with impetus and passion, doing everything possible to ensure that listeners not only hear notes or sounds, but also read the feelings of the composer from them.

Such a titanic work was not always easy for him and required colossal mental costs, but to leave the art of a geniuscould not, not knowing how else to fill his own existence.

Schumann managed to express a lot of personal feelings in "Kreislerian", which was written on the basis of experiences from reading the works of Hoffmann. The composers of that romantic era used the technique of programmatic works, linking them to a literary source of inspiration, using it as a libretto.

Analysis of Schumann's "Kreislerians"

Being a true admirer of Hoffmann's books, Robert composed many of his works based on his works. Schumann created his "Kreisleriana" under the impression of the image of the insane eccentric Johann Kreisler. Being on the rise of feelings and emotions, the composer, who dedicated the work to his beloved wife, worked tirelessly on its creation.

In "Kreislerian" Schumann used various polyphonic techniques, in particular, polyrhythm, highlighting the rhythmic isolation of bass voices that expressed anxiety, were late or ahead of the main melody.

He was worried about whether the public would be able to accept and understand his work, which might seem complex and busy from the outside.

But in the end it was the notes of Schumann's Kreisleriana that became one of the brightest pages in the author's creative biography, even by his own admission. It was an autobiographical and frank work that silenced even the most distinguished wits. They received the play positively, as did most others created by a timid and insanely talented master who was solittle is given to earthly life.

Each time, painfully experiencing creative crises, he brought himself to nervous exhaustion and independently decided on treatment in a clinic for the mentally ill. It was there that he died, unable to get rid of schizophrenia, which is increasingly manifested in the last years of the life of a real genius.

"Kreislerian" by Vladimir Horowitz in the video above.