Clara Schumann: Er ist gekommen

Introduction[]

The wife of Robert Schumann, Clara Schumann was a virtuosic pianist and composer who produced a good body of works.

Er ist gekommen is a 1 of 3 songs composed in 1841 when Clara was pregnant with her first child.

In her own catalogue of works, it appears as Op. 12 Lieders.

These songs were published as part of Robert Schumann's Gedichte aus Liebesfrühling, Op. 37:

2. Er ist gekommen in Sturm und Regen; 4. Liebst du um Schönheit; 11. Warum willst du and’re Fragen?

http://imslp.org/wiki/Gedichte_aus_%27Liebesfr%C3%BChling%27,_Op.37_(Schumann,_Robert)

The text is from Frederich Rűckert's Liebesfrűhling

The German text:

Er ist gekommen

In Sturm und Regen,

Ihm schlug beklommen

Mein Herz entgegen.

Wie konnt' ich ahnen,

Daß seine Bahnen

Sich einen sollten meinen Wegen?

Er ist gekommen

In Sturm und Regen,

Er hat genommen

Mein Herz verwegen.

Nahm er das meine?

Nahm ich das seine?

Die beiden kamen sich entgegen.

Er ist gekommen

In Sturm und Regen.

Nun ist entglommen

Des Frühlings Segen.

Der Freund zieht weiter,

Ich seh' es heiter,

Denn er bleibt mein auf allen Wegen.

The English translation:

He came

in storm and rain,

my anxious heart

beat against his.

how could I have known,

that his path

should unite itself with mine?

He came

in storm and rain,

he boldly

stole my heart.

Did he steal mine?

Did I steal his?

Both came together.

He came

in storm and rain,

Now has come

the blessing of spring.

My love travels abroad,

I watch with cheer,

for he remains mine, on any road.

Analysis[]

The lieder can be analysed as an AAB form. The most interesting aspect of this work is the text painting in the piano accompaniment. The tempo is sehr schnell, and calls for virtuosic playing on the pianist’s part. The rising broken-chord figuration repeated throughout the piece depicts the protagonist’s lover approaching in the storm and rain. The vast contrast of dynamics within each measure portrays the agitated and leidenschaftlich character of the piece. The recurring tritone in the third beat of the left-hand hand accompaniment and its resolution shapes a vital part of the accompaniment. Whenever a question is being sung, the chords in the piano accompaniment present themselves in major. The B section is a distinctly calmed section of the piece where the broken chord figurations as died down to a less active hymn/chordal -textured section to the following text: “Now has come the blessing of spring. My love travels abroad, I watch with cheer, for he remains mine, on any road.”

This depicts the protagonist’s self-assurance of her lover’s faithfulness towards her. With a piano postlude in the opening tempo, suggesting the inevitable turbulence of love.

Comparison[]

Liebst du um Schoenheit, No.4 is a gentler work featuring a lovely melody with a modest vocal range and simple piano accompaniment. There are subtle difference in each verse of the vocal part, such as a repeated note, a dotted rhythm, and one-note intervallic changes. There is also little variation in the piano accompaniment and but enough and deliberate to highlight the different key nouns in the text. i.e. Jugend, Schoenheit, Schaetze, Liebe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gh1NjnlmrUE

Observations[]

I enjoy playing and learning German lieders. The amount of practice required to master the technical control of the piano accompaniment in Er ist gekommen is ample to liken it to little etude.