Symphony No. 2 (Schumann)
Encyclopedia
The Symphony
in C major by German
composer
Robert Schumann
was published in 1847 as his Symphony No. 2, Op. 61, although it was the third symphony he had completed, counting the B-flat major symphony published as No. 1
in 1841, and the original version of his D minor
symphony of 1841 (later revised and published as No. 4
).
The symphony was sketched in 1845, but his depression and poor health prevented him finishing the work until October 1846. In the face of this adversity the uplifting tone of the symphony is remarkable (the work can be seen as a Beethovenian triumph over fate/pessimism). It is written in the traditional four-movement
form, and as often in the nineteenth century the Scherzo precedes the Adagio. All four movements are in C major, except the first part of the slow movement (in C minor); the work is thus homotonal
:
The first movement begins with a slow Introduction brass
chorale
, elements of which recur through the piece. (Schumann wrote the Six organ Fugues on B-A-C-H, Op. 60, at about this time, and this preoccupation with Bach suggests a chorale prelude
, a quintessential Bachian genre, in the texture and feeling of the symphony's opening.) The following Sonata-Allegro is dramatic and turbulent. It is characterized by sharp rhythmic formulae (double-dotted rhythms) and by the masterly transformation of the material of the Introduction. The second movement is a scherzo in C major with two trio
s, whose main portion strongly emphasizes the diminished chord
- its characteristic gesture being a rapid and playful resolution of this chord over unstable harmony. The Adagio espressivo is a sonata movement in C minor
, with the character of an elegy, its middle section strongly contrapuntal
in texture. The finale is in a very freely treated sonata form, its second theme related to the opening theme of the Adagio. Later in the movement, a new theme appears: this theme has, as its sources of inspiration, the last song from Beethoven's cycle "An die ferne Geliebte" (cf. also Schumann's piano Fantasy in C, Op. 17), as well as Beethoven's "Ode to Joy." The coda of the Finale recalls the material from the Introduction, thereby thematically spanning the entire work.
A typical performance lasts between 35 and 40 minutes.
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
in C major by German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
was published in 1847 as his Symphony No. 2, Op. 61, although it was the third symphony he had completed, counting the B-flat major symphony published as No. 1
Symphony No. 1 (Schumann)
Symphony No. 1 in B flat major, Op. 38 was the first symphonic work composed by Robert Schumann. Although Schumann made some "symphonic attempts" in the autumn of 1840 soon after he married his beloved Clara Wieck, he did not compose his First Symphony until early 1841...
in 1841, and the original version of his D minor
D minor
D minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. In the harmonic minor, the C is raised to C. Its key signature has one flat ....
symphony of 1841 (later revised and published as No. 4
Symphony No. 4 (Schumann)
The Symphony No. 4 in D Minor, Op. 120, composed by Robert Schumann, was completed in 1841 . Schumann heavily revised the symphony in 1851, and it was this version that reached publication....
).
The symphony was sketched in 1845, but his depression and poor health prevented him finishing the work until October 1846. In the face of this adversity the uplifting tone of the symphony is remarkable (the work can be seen as a Beethovenian triumph over fate/pessimism). It is written in the traditional four-movement
Movement (music)
A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...
form, and as often in the nineteenth century the Scherzo precedes the Adagio. All four movements are in C major, except the first part of the slow movement (in C minor); the work is thus homotonal
Homotonal
Homotonal is a technical musical term pertaining to the tonal structure of multi-movement compositions. It was introduced into musicology by Hans Keller...
:
- Sostenuto assai — Allegro, ma non troppo
- Scherzo: Allegro vivace
- Adagio espressivo
- Allegro molto vivace
The first movement begins with a slow Introduction brass
Brass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
chorale
Chorale
A chorale was originally a hymn sung by a Christian congregation. In certain modern usage, this term may also include classical settings of such hymns and works of a similar character....
, elements of which recur through the piece. (Schumann wrote the Six organ Fugues on B-A-C-H, Op. 60, at about this time, and this preoccupation with Bach suggests a chorale prelude
Chorale prelude
In music, a chorale prelude is a short liturgical composition for organ using a chorale tune as its basis. It was a predominant style of the German Baroque era and reached its culmination in the works of J.S. Bach, who wrote 46 examples of the form in his Orgelbüchlein.-Function:The liturgical...
, a quintessential Bachian genre, in the texture and feeling of the symphony's opening.) The following Sonata-Allegro is dramatic and turbulent. It is characterized by sharp rhythmic formulae (double-dotted rhythms) and by the masterly transformation of the material of the Introduction. The second movement is a scherzo in C major with two trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
s, whose main portion strongly emphasizes the diminished chord
Diminished chord
A diminished triad chord or diminished chord is a triad consisting of two minor thirds above the root — if built on C, a diminished chord would have a C, an E and a G. It resembles a minor triad with a lowered fifth....
- its characteristic gesture being a rapid and playful resolution of this chord over unstable harmony. The Adagio espressivo is a sonata movement in C minor
C minor
C minor is a minor scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. The harmonic minor raises the B to B. Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with naturals and accidentals as necessary.Its key signature consists of three flats...
, with the character of an elegy, its middle section strongly contrapuntal
Counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
in texture. The finale is in a very freely treated sonata form, its second theme related to the opening theme of the Adagio. Later in the movement, a new theme appears: this theme has, as its sources of inspiration, the last song from Beethoven's cycle "An die ferne Geliebte" (cf. also Schumann's piano Fantasy in C, Op. 17), as well as Beethoven's "Ode to Joy." The coda of the Finale recalls the material from the Introduction, thereby thematically spanning the entire work.
A typical performance lasts between 35 and 40 minutes.
External links
- Program notes from a Richmond Symphony concert
- Program notes from a Filarmonica della Scala concert (it)
- Listings of live performances from Bachtrack
- Autograph manuscript in composer's hand at The Juilliard Manuscript Collection