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Eloquence, reference, and significance in Clara Schumann’s Opus 20 and Johannes Brahms’ Opus 9 Smith, Stephen James

Abstract

Clara Schumann's op. 20 variations and Brahms' op. 9 variations on the same theme are both intensely communciative works. This thesis seeks to discover their emotional content by examining subtle musical and textual clues in the light of Robert Schumann's aesthetic theory and practice, and with in-depth reference to biographical context. The author brings together many threads from pre-existing literature about these works and their composers in order to trace the significance of the shared theme and to explore certain psychological issues surrounding the composition of the two sets of variations. Special attention is given to the tightly-knit internal relationships and the many external references, whether deliberate or unconscious, which enrich the Brahms work.

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