Davidsbündlertänze (Dances of the League of David), Op. 6, is a group of eighteen pieces for piano composed in 1837 by Robert Schumann, who named them after his music society Davidsbündler. The low opus number is misleading: the work was written after Carnaval, Op. 9, and the Symphonic Studies, Op. 13.
First page the autograph of “Davidsbündlertänze” , Op. 6.
Robert Schumann's early piano works were substantially influenced by his relationship with Clara Wieck. On September 5, 1839, Schumann wrote to his former professor: "She was practically my sole motivation for writing the Davidsbündlertänze, the Concerto, the Sonata and the "Novelettes"." They are an expression of his passionate love, anxieties, longings, visions, dreams and fantasies.
The theme of the Davidsbündlertänze is based on a mazurka by Clara Wieck.[1] The intimate character pieces are his most personal work. In 1838, Schumann told Clara that the Dances contained "many wedding thoughts" and that "the story is an entire Polterabend (German wedding eve party, during which old crockery is smashed to bring good luck)".
The pieces are not true dances, but characteristic pieces, musical dialogues about contemporary music between Schumann's characters Florestan and Eusebius. These respectively represent the impetuous and the lyrical, poetic sides of Schumann's nature. Each piece is ascribed to one or both of them. Their names follow the first piece and the appropriate initial or initials follow each of the others except the sixteenth (which leads directly into the seventeenth, the ascription for which applies to both) and the ninth and eighteenth, which are respectively preceded by the following remarks: "Here Florestan made an end, and his lips quivered painfully", and "Quite superfluously Eusebius remarked as follows: but all the time great bliss spoke from his eyes."
In the second edition of the work, Schumann removed these ascriptions and remarks and the Tänze from the title, as well as making various alterations, including the addition of some repeats. The first edition is generally favored, though some readings from the second are often used. The suite ends with the striking of twelve low Cs to signify the coming of midnight.
Peter Kaminsky has analysed the structure of the work in detail.[2]
The first edition is preceded by the following epigraph:
Alter Spruch In all und jeder Zeit Verknüpft sich Lust und Leid: Bleibt fromm in Lust und seid Dem Leid mit Mut bereit
Old saying In each and every age joy and sorrow are mingled: Remain pious in joy, and be ready for sorrow with courage.
Sectionsedit
The individual pieces, unnamed, have the following tempo markings, keys and ascriptions:
Lebhaft: Lively (Vivace), G major, Florestan and Eusebius;
Innig: Intimately (Con intimo sentimento), B minor, Eusebius;
Etwas hahnbüchen: Somewhat clumsily (Un poco impetuoso) (1st edition), Mit Humor: With humor (Con umore) (2nd edition), G major, Florestan (hahnbüchen, now usually hanebüchen or hagebüchen, is an untranslatable colloquialism roughly meaning "coarse" or "clumsy". Ernest Hutcheson translated it as "cockeyed" in his book The Literature of the Piano.);
Ungeduldig: Impatiently (Con impazienza), B minor, Florestan;
Einfach: Simply (Semplice), D major, Eusebius;
Sehr rasch und in sich hinein: Very quickly and inwardly (Molto vivo, con intimo fervore) (1st edition), Sehr rasch: Very quickly (Molto vivo) (2nd edition), D minor, Florestan;
Nicht schnell mit äußerst starker Empfindung: Not fast, with very great feeling (Non presto profondamente espressivo) (1st edition), Nicht schnell: Not fast (Non presto) (2nd edition), G minor, Eusebius;
Frisch: Freshly (Con freschezza), C minor, Florestan;
No tempo indication (metronome mark of ♩ = 126) (1st edition), Lebhaft: Lively (Vivace) (2nd edition), C major, Florestan;
Balladenmäßig sehr rasch: Balladically very fast (Alla ballata molto vivo) (1st edition), ("Sehr" and "Molto" capitalized in 2nd edition), D minor (ends major), Florestan;
Einfach: Simply (Semplice), B minor–D major, Eusebius;
Mit Humor: With humor (Con umore), B minor–E minor and major, Florestan;
Wild und lustig: Wildly and merrily (Selvaggio e gaio), B minor and major, Florestan and Eusebius;
Zart und singend: Tenderly and singing (Dolce e cantando), E♭ major, Eusebius;
Frisch: Freshly (Con freschezza), B♭ major – Etwas bewegter: With agitation (poco piu mosso), E♭ major with a return to the opening section (with the option to go round the piece once more), Florestan and Eusebius;
Mit gutem Humor: With good humor (Con buon umore) (in 2nd edition, "Con umore"), G major – Etwas langsamer: A little slower (Un poco più lento), B minor; leading without a break into
Wie aus der Ferne: As if from afar (Come da lontano), B major and minor (including a full reprise of No. 2), Florestan and Eusebius; and finally,
Nicht schnell: Not fast (Non presto), C major, Eusebius.
Referencesedit
^The mazurka is No. 5 in Wieck's Soirées musicales, Op. 6 (see "External links" for score).
^Kaminsky, Peter (Autumn 1989). "Principles of Formal Structure in Schumann's Early Piano Cycles". Music Theory Spectrum. 11 (2): 207–225. doi:10.1525/mts.1989.11.2.02a00040. JSTOR 198923.
Further readingedit
David Ewen, Encyclopedia of Concert Music. New York; Hill and Wang, 1959.
Robert Schumann, Complete Piano Works, Volume I, edited by Clara Schumann, originally published by Breitkopf & Härtel.
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Davidsbundlertanze Dances of the League of David Op 6 is a group of eighteen pieces for piano composed in 1837 by Robert Schumann who named them after his music society Davidsbundler The low opus number is misleading the work was written after Carnaval Op 9 and the Symphonic Studies Op 13 First page the autograph of Davidsbundlertanze Op 6 This article is about Schumann s 1837 piano suite For George Balanchine s 1980 ballet to this music see Robert Schumann s Davidsbundlertanze Contents 1 Background 2 Sections 3 References 4 Further reading 5 External linksBackground editRobert Schumann s early piano works were substantially influenced by his relationship with Clara Wieck On September 5 1839 Schumann wrote to his former professor She was practically my sole motivation for writing the Davidsbundlertanze the Concerto the Sonata and the Novelettes They are an expression of his passionate love anxieties longings visions dreams and fantasies The theme of the Davidsbundlertanze is based on a mazurka by Clara Wieck 1 The intimate character pieces are his most personal work In 1838 Schumann told Clara that the Dances contained many wedding thoughts and that the story is an entire Polterabend German wedding eve party during which old crockery is smashed to bring good luck The pieces are not true dances but characteristic pieces musical dialogues about contemporary music between Schumann s characters Florestan and Eusebius These respectively represent the impetuous and the lyrical poetic sides of Schumann s nature Each piece is ascribed to one or both of them Their names follow the first piece and the appropriate initial or initials follow each of the others except the sixteenth which leads directly into the seventeenth the ascription for which applies to both and the ninth and eighteenth which are respectively preceded by the following remarks Here Florestan made an end and his lips quivered painfully and Quite superfluously Eusebius remarked as follows but all the time great bliss spoke from his eyes In the second edition of the work Schumann removed these ascriptions and remarks and the Tanze from the title as well as making various alterations including the addition of some repeats The first edition is generally favored though some readings from the second are often used The suite ends with the striking of twelve low Cs to signify the coming of midnight Peter Kaminsky has analysed the structure of the work in detail 2 The first edition is preceded by the following epigraph Alter Spruch In all und jeder Zeit Verknupft sich Lust und Leid Bleibt fromm in Lust und seid Dem Leid mit Mut bereit Old saying In each and every age joy and sorrow are mingled Remain pious in joy and be ready for sorrow with courage Sections editThe individual pieces unnamed have the following tempo markings keys and ascriptions Lebhaft Lively Vivace G major Florestan and Eusebius Innig Intimately Con intimo sentimento B minor Eusebius Etwas hahnbuchen Somewhat clumsily Un poco impetuoso 1st edition Mit Humor With humor Con umore 2nd edition G major Florestan hahnbuchen now usually hanebuchen or hagebuchen is an untranslatable colloquialism roughly meaning coarse or clumsy Ernest Hutcheson translated it as cockeyed in his book The Literature of the Piano Ungeduldig Impatiently Con impazienza B minor Florestan Einfach Simply Semplice D major Eusebius Sehr rasch und in sich hinein Very quickly and inwardly Molto vivo con intimo fervore 1st edition Sehr rasch Very quickly Molto vivo 2nd edition D minor Florestan Nicht schnell mit ausserst starker Empfindung Not fast with very great feeling Non presto profondamente espressivo 1st edition Nicht schnell Not fast Non presto 2nd edition G minor Eusebius Frisch Freshly Con freschezza C minor Florestan No tempo indication metronome mark of 126 1st edition Lebhaft Lively Vivace 2nd edition C major Florestan Balladenmassig sehr rasch Balladically very fast Alla ballata molto vivo 1st edition Sehr and Molto capitalized in 2nd edition D minor ends major Florestan Einfach Simply Semplice B minor D major Eusebius Mit Humor With humor Con umore B minor E minor and major Florestan Wild und lustig Wildly and merrily Selvaggio e gaio B minor and major Florestan and Eusebius Zart und singend Tenderly and singing Dolce e cantando E major Eusebius Frisch Freshly Con freschezza B major Etwas bewegter With agitation poco piu mosso E major with a return to the opening section with the option to go round the piece once more Florestan and Eusebius Mit gutem Humor With good humor Con buon umore in 2nd edition Con umore G major Etwas langsamer A little slower Un poco piu lento B minor leading without a break into Wie aus der Ferne As if from afar Come da lontano B major and minor including a full reprise of No 2 Florestan and Eusebius and finally Nicht schnell Not fast Non presto C major Eusebius References edit The mazurka is No 5 in Wieck s Soirees musicales Op 6 see External links for score Kaminsky Peter Autumn 1989 Principles of Formal Structure in Schumann s Early Piano Cycles Music Theory Spectrum 11 2 207 225 doi 10 1525 mts 1989 11 2 02a00040 JSTOR 198923 Further reading editDavid Ewen Encyclopedia of Concert Music New York Hill and Wang 1959 Robert Schumann Complete Piano Works Volume I edited by Clara Schumann originally published by Breitkopf amp Hartel External links editDavidsbundlertanze Scores at the International Music Score Library Project Soirees musicales Clara Schumann Scores at the International Music Score Library Project No 6 Mazurka Performance of Davidsbundlertanze by Jeremy Denk from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in MP3 format Schumann Davidsbundlertanze on YouTube performed by Catherine Collard Schumann Davidsbundlertanze on YouTube Piano Soloist Jerome Rose Portal nbsp Classical music Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Davidsbundlertanze amp oldid 1183684045, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
