Schumann’s Mignon Lieder: Connections between his musical and literary world

Saki Matsuoka

About this exposition

About this research: This research investigates relations between Schumann’s composition style in the Mignon songs from his Lieder und Gesänge aus Wilhelm Meister op.98a and his view on the feelings of Mignon, one of the characters in ‘Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship’ by Goethe. Three songs, Kennst du das Land?, Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt and Heiss’ mich nicht reden, heiss’ mich schweigen are the focus of this research. Other composers like Beethoven, Schubert, and Wolf also composed songs based on these same poems. This research shows that there are important differences in the way these composers interpret the character and feelings of Mignon. One chapter is devoted to explaining Schumann's view of Mignon’s personality by analysing his pieces in terms of the harmonic language and the melodic line with the texts. This research argues that Schumann emphasises Mignon’s longing and her traumatised personality through his choice of minor tonalities, frequent use of suspensions and chromaticism, making voice and piano equal partners. Subsequently, a comparison with the aforementioned composers is set. A comparison between performances of these songs on a historical instrument and the modern piano is made as well; this experiment aims to look into how the choice of instrument can influence the conveyance of Mignon’s feelings. This chapter includes an analysis of recordings featuring the same pieces performed on both instruments. This exposition presents an analysis of the striking characteristics of Schumann’s Mignon songs from various points of view.

type	research exposition
keywords	Schumann, Lied, interpretation, piano, fortepiano
date	05/09/2023
published	04/07/2024
last modified	04/07/2024
status	limited publication
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
license	CC BY-NC-ND
url	https://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/2275643/2380477
published in	KC Research Portal
portal issue	3. Internal publication

name	Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre
copyright	Goethe
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name	Mignon
copyright	Rodin Museum
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name	Schumann
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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name	Goethe
copyright	Britanica
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name	Diagram 1
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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name	Diagram 2
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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name	Diagram 3
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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name	Diagram 4
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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name	VIdeo1
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name	Video 2
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name	Figure 3
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name	Video 3
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name	Video4
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name	Texts and Translations, Lieder und Gesänge aus Wilhelm Meister (1849)
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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usages	pdf

name	Kennst du das Land
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
license	All rights reserved
usages	pdf

name	Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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usages	pdf

name	Heiss’ Mich nicht reden
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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usages	pdf

name	Beethoven Kennst du das Land
copyright	Beethoven
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usages	pdf

name	LvBeethoven Sehnsucht WoO134
copyright	Beethoven
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usages	pdf

name	Schubert Kennst du das Land
copyright	Schubert
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usages	pdf

name	Schubert Nur wer die
copyright	Schubert
license	All rights reserved
usages	pdf

name	Schubert Heiss
copyright	Schubert
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usages	pdf

name	Wolf Kennst du das Land
copyright	Wolf
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usages	pdf

name	Wolf Nur wer die
copyright	Wolf
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usages	pdf

name	Wolf Heiss
copyright	Wolf
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usages	pdf

name	Diagram 1
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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name	Diagram 2
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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name	Video 1
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name	Video 2
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name	Figure 3
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name	Video 3
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name	Figure 4
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name	Figure 5
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name	Video 4
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name	Figure 6
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name	Video 5
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name	Figure 1
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name	Figure 2
copyright	Chris Maene
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name	Figure 3
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name	Figure 1
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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name	Video 1
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name	Figure 2
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name	Video 2
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name	Figure 3
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name	Video 3
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name	Figure 4
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name	Video 4
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name	Figure 5
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name	Video 5
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usages	video

name	Video 1 Fortepiano
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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usages	video

name	Video 1 Modern piano
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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usages	video

name	Video 2 Fortepiano
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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name	Video 2 Modern piano
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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name	Video 3 Fortepiano
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name	Video 3 Modern piano
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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name	Video 4 Fortepiano
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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usages	video

name	Video 4 Modern piano
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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usages	video

name	Video 1 Fortepiano
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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usages	video

name	Video 1 Modern piano
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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usages	video

name	Video 2 Fortepiano
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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usages	video

name	Video 2 Modern piano
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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name	Video 3 modern piano
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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usages	video

name	Video 3 fortepiano
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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usages	video

name	Video 4 Fortepiano
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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usages	video

name	Video 4 modern piano
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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usages	video

name	Schumann 1
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name	Schumann 2
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name	Schumann 3
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name	Figure 1 Beethoven
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name	Figure 1 Wolf
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name	Figure 1 Schubert
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name	Beethoven 2
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name	Figure 3 Beethoven
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name	Figure 4 Schubert
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name	Figure 5 Schubert
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name	Figure 6 Wolf
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name	Figure 7 Wolf
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name	Figure 8 Wolf
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name	Figure 9 Beethoven
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name	Figure 9 Schubert
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name	Figure 9Wolf
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name	Figure 9 Wolf2
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name	Figure 1 Beethoven
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name	Figure 1 Schubert
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name	Figure 1 Wolf
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name	Figure 2 Beethoven
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name	Figure 3 Schubert
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name	Figure 4 Schubert
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name	Figure 5 Wolf
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name	Figure 6 Wolf
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name	Figure 6 Beethoven
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name	Figure 8 Schubert
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name	Figure 8-2 Schubert
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name	Figure 9 Wolf
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name	Figure 9-2 Wolf
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name	Figure 9-3 Wolf
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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name	Figure 9-4 Wolf
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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name	Schumann 1
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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name	Schumann 2
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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name	Schumann 3
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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name	Figure 1 Schubert
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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name	Figure 1 Wolf
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name	Figure 2 Schubert
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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name	Figure 3: Wolf
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name	Figure 4 Schubert
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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name	Figure 5 Wolf
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name	Figure 7 Schubert
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name	Figure 7 Wolf
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name	Schumann 1
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name	Schumann 2
copyright	Saki Matsuoka
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name	Schumann 3
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Schumann’s Mignon Lieder: Connections between his musical and literary world (2024)

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