Vladimir Kulenovic

Mid-Term Assignment
Music in Context
GRMUS T634
ro!" #ili$ %asser
T#e !our Contra$untal Motives in Sc#umann&s Album for the Young
'os" (6) (* and 3*
T#e !our Contra$untal Motives t#at $redominate t#e musical !a+ric o! Sc#umann&s
Album for the Young are t#e 3-note scale motive ,mar-ed in t#e score .it# red/) t#e
returning-note motive ,mar-ed in t#e score .it# +lue/) t#e lo.er neig#+or motive
,mar-ed in t#e score .it# $lain $encil in a circle/ and t#e re$eating-tone motive ,mar-ed
in t#e score .it# $lain $encil .it# a vertical line/"
At t#e ver0 +eginning o! t#e $iece 'o" (6) titled 1T#e 2irst %oss3) all o! t#e !our
motives are $resent in t#e o$ening !our +ars" Sc#umann c#romaticall0 modi!ies t#e
returning note motive at t#e ver0 +eginning) .#ic# ma-es sense in t#e minor mode" 4e
also inverts t#e lo.er neig#+or motive in t#e 5alto& contra$untal voice in measures 6 and
3" T#e most interesting modi!ications are t#ose o! t#e returning note motive in measures
6)3)4 and 7 t#ere t#e motive is in t#e 5tenor& contra$untal voice in retrograde inversion
and 8uadru$le augmentation) including +eing $laced on t#e o!!-+eats o! t#e +ars" T#e
same motive is t#en $resented in t#e so$rano contra$untal voice in original eig#t-note
values +ut also in retrograde inversion" T#e re$resentation o! t#ese motives is ver0 clear)
since Sc#umann #as introduced almost ever0 motive in a se$arate contra$untal voice"
T#e exce$tion is t#e $ossi+ilit0 t#at t#e !irst a$$earance o! t#e lo.er neig#+or motive is
on $itc#es 1mi-re9-mi3 in t#e ver0 !irst +ar) and t#at .ould +e in t#e voice somet#ing else
#as +egun +e!ore" 4o.ever i! .e loo- care!ull0) Sc#umann #as !used t#ese motives
,returning-note and t#e lo.er neig+or/ toget#er) and used t#eir !usion to validate t#e
modi!ication o! t#e largest CM o! t#e $iece : t#e returning note motive" A!ter t#at) to
great e!!ect #e se$arates t#ese motive) not ;ust in t#e tem$oral s$#ere) +ut also
#ori<ontall0) in t#e s$#eres o! t#e CV&s) ma0+e signi!0ing a se$aration o! a single .#ole
unit= a sentiment close to t#e one t#e title is relating to"
T#e motivic .or- on t#is level is s0stematicall0 continued t#roug#out t#e $iece" T#e
most touc#ing moment) and also a com$ositional !act comes at t#e ver0 end o! t#e $iece
.#ere all o! t#e motives are stated in t#e same time) $resent in t#e last t.o measures
including t#e u$+eat) o! course ,since t#e $iece also +egins .it# one even t#at is an
organic com$ositional decision/" >n t#e to$ CV .e see t#e t#ree-note motive ,sol-!a9-
mi/) in t#e CV rig#t +elo. it t#e lo.er neig#+or ,mi-re9-mi/) t#e next CV +elo. states
t#e returning note motive ,do9-si- la- si/) and t#e CV is some.#at s$lit and t#en merged
in order to #ave t#e re$eated note motive $resent t#ere as .ell, si-si-si/" T#e addition o!
t#e $itc# 5la& ena+les t#at" ?e could sa0 t#at it .as done in order to ac#ieve t#e sonorit0
o! some sort) adding a @ominant A
t#
c#ord to t#e #armonic texture) and t#at&s all true) +ut
t#e underl0ing reason is com$ositional) it is rooted in t#e intention o! t#e com$oser to
transmit a message t#roug# not onl0 t#e 8ualit0 o! sound in #is $iece +ut also t#e
com$ositional develo$ment o! #is material" ?e #ear t#is in#erentl0 and see it .#en .e
in!use ourselves in t#is t0$e o! anal0sis" ?#at .as se$arated ,1lost3/ at t#e +eginning o!
t#e $iece) is no. united ,1!ound3/ at t#e ver0 !inal end and resolution"
T#e next $iece in t#is selection) title t#e 1%ittle Romance3 +ears a Ma#lerian
tem$o indication) starting .it# 1not3) interesting t#at t#e t.o com$osers .ere similar
even on t#eir $essimistic indications to t#e $er!ormer) not onl0 on t#e musical level
.#ere t#e 0ounger one +orro.ed !rom t#e older" T#e most $rominent CM at t#e
+eginning is t#e lo.er neig#+or) +ecoming again t#e 5u$$er& neig#+or in t#e inversion
,mi-!a-mi/" T#e re$eated note motive is o+viousl0 $resent) and t#e t#ree note motive can
+ee seen at t#e end o! t#e o$ening $#rase" >n t#e +eginning o! t#e $iece t#e returning
note motive is a little #ard to !ind and .e can notice it t#roug# care!ul se$aration o! t#e
CV&s in measures 3 and 4" >t is in inversion" T#e re$eat !ollo.s and a!ter it is t#e section
in ma;or mode" 4ere) a$art !rom t#e o+vious re$eating note motive) .e can also notice
t#e returning note motive in inversion in t#e t#ird CV) counting !rom t#e to$ do.n"
Sc#umann is t#in-ing in a contra$untal voicing) .#ic# is so evident .it# t#e tem$oral
5reduction& o! t#e voices) as t#e0 merge on t#e t#ird +eat o! measure *" T#e material t#at
!ollo.s is $rett0 muc# identical and so is t#e motivic treatment o! t#e CM&s" ?#at is
.ort# noting t#oug# is t#at t#e t.o lines o! t#e rig#t and le!t #and .#ic# are moving in
$arallel octaves most o! t#e time) get 5se$arated& in t#e ma;or mode section) and t#at !act
is !ollo.ed .it# a sour and dar- sonorit0 o! t#e B6 c#ord" A!ter t#at t#e lines are united
once again) even t#oug# t#e re$eat o! t#e same is inevita+le"
T#e t#ird and t#e largest $iece on t#e t#ree in t#is selection is called ?intertime
,>>/ and it +egins .it# t#e $arallel motion o! 3 ,or 6/ CV&s .#ic# $resent t#e t#ree note
motive and ,in t#e le!t #and onl0/ also t#e returning note motive" T#e $arallel motion is
discontinued at t#e end o! t#e $#rase and t#ere!ore t#e rig#t #and 5c#ooses& not to !ollo.
t#e ex$osition o! t#e returning note motive in measure 3 +ut to introduce t#e lo.er
neig#+or motive in t#e second CV" >n measure (A is t#e !irst instance or t#e re$eating
note motive) and t#e s$acing o! t#e ex$osition o! t#ese motives can alread0 tell us t#at t#e
$iece .ill +e more su+stantial t#e t.o $redecessors in t#is selection) since it is
motivicall0 un!olding at a less ra$id $ace" >n t#e Poco a poco piu animato section in t#e
Dominanti minor) .e see t#e same !usion o! t#e t#ree CM&s t#at .as done in t#e $iece
num+er (6= t#e t#ree note motive and t#e lo.er neig#+or motive are $resented one a!ter
anot#er in t#e same CV and t#e0 !orm) in +et.een t#em) li-e connective tissue a
c#romaticall0 altered returning note motive" T#e re$eated note motive is seen in t#e to$
CV o! t#e le!t #and" As t#e accom$animent in t#e le!t #and is mostl0 !igurated .it#
5lea$s& at t#e end o! t#is section a cou$le o! lo.er $itc#es are le!t as g#osts ,do/ or
#anging ,!a/) and t#eir dela0ed resolution in t#e lo.er registers ma-es !or suc# a natural
!eeling o! return into t#e re$eat o! t#e o$ening section) mar-ed tem$o $rimo) .#ic# o!
course starts in t#e lo. register" C0 no. it is im$ossi+le not to note t#at t#e o$ening
$itc# o! t#is $iece ,sol/ $la0s a signi!icant role in t#is $iece) a$art !rom +eginning it" 'ot
onl0 is t#e middle section in its -e0) +ut t#at $itc# is !re8uentl0 le!t #anging) or t#e
r#0t#mical !lo. $auses on t#at $articular note" T#is is es$eciall0 t#e case in t#e !inal
section" ?e can see t#at at t#e -e0 c#ange to C-ma;or ,pp meno mosso). >t is reall0
organic #o. Sc#umann $re$ares t#e onl0 ex$osition o! t#e o$ening melod0 in t#e u$$er
register" At t#e end o! t#e Ma;or Section) t#e last c#ord is a viiDV diminis#ed 4D3) .#ic#
t#e leading tone o! course in t#e so$rano" T#e leading tone +eing !9 $er!ectl0 introduces
t#e sol .#ic# starts t#e misterioso o$ening melod0) +ut t#is time in t#e #ig#er register"
T#e entire section in minor is also under a Dominant $edal) on sol" As t#at $edal and t#e
CV resolves to Tonic t#e Coda o! t#e $iece +rings +ac- t#e ma;or mode .it# t#e Tonic
triad notes o! do) mi ) sol le!t #anging as g#ost $itc#es augmenting t#e range o! t#e !inal
tonic c#ord"