Singing Schumann

Book excerpt: Singing Schumann is likely to become the standard introduction to some of the best-loved songs in the singer's repertoire. Written by a distinguished performer and internationally known teacher, the book offers astute, practical advice for bringing Robert Schumann's Lieder to life in performance. Richard Miller guides the reader through the interpretation of all of Schumann's solo and duet songs, drawing thoroughly on Schumann's compositional style and its historical background. In addition to covering the "familiar forty"--the much-performed songs Schumann composed in and around 1840 while trying to win the hand of Clara Wieck--Miller takes an in-depth look at the lesser known early and later songs. In particular, he focuses on the rich and varied repertoire of Schumann's later years, challenging the conventional view that these works reflect a decline in the composer's creative powers. Singing Schumann begins with an overview of Schumann as a song composer and then proceeds to survey the entire repertoire, song by song. It features the well-known cycles, including the Eichendorff Liederkreis, Frauenliebe und -leben, and Dichterliebe, as well as the Liederalbum für die Jugend and settings of texts by Goethe, Burns, Rückert, and Kulmann. Using numerous musical examples, Miller uncovers Schumann's characteristic compositional devices and describes his novel and experimental approaches to the interpretation of texts, often achieved through exceptionally colorful keyboard accompaniments. Musically sensitive and eminently readable, Singing Schumann is an invaluable guide for teachers, coaches, pianists, and singers.