- Library Home /
- Search Collections /
- Open Collections /
- Browse Collections /
- UBC Theses and Dissertations /
- Span structure in Robert Schumann’s late works
Open Collections
UBC Theses and Dissertations
UBC Theses and Dissertations
Span structure in Robert Schumann’s late works Wu, Pei-Hua
Abstract
Robert Schumann's music is frequently noted for its rhythmic complexity at the surface level, within apparently regular duple and quadruple phrase structures. However, not all of Schumann's music is based on regular phrase lengths or regular hypermetric patterns. The interaction between motivic relationships, different types of accents and harmonic structure in his later music creates a conflict between metric and group structures, and necessitates a more careful consideration of these two categories and of this interaction. This paper examines Schumann's use of these ways of subdividing music, and analyzes five of his later works from 1849 and 1853: 1) the Adagio from the Adagio and Allegro for Piano and Horn, Op. 70. 2) Phantasiestucke, Op. 73, No. 1. 3) Four Marches for Piano, Op. 76, No. 1. 4) Marchenerz'ahlungen, Op. 132, No. 3, and 5) Ges'dnge der Fr'uhe, Op. 133, No. 2. This paper consists of two parts. The first chapter discusses and clarifies the definitions of the terms that are related to rhythmic structure, such as group, span, phrase, clause, measure, and chunk. The second chapter contains detailed analyses of the five late works by Schumann. The analyses demonstrate the irregular grouping lengths and span structure, as well as the ambiguous hypermeter and accentual structure in his late works. The focus on the span structure in each piece helps to enhance understanding of the music's overall structure. These analyses illustrate an interaction between various modes of partitioning the musical flow in each piece, as a way of showing a coherent rhythmic result that provides a positive picture of Schumann's achievement in these works.
Item Metadata
| Title |
Span structure in Robert Schumann’s late works
|
| Creator | |
| Publisher |
University of British Columbia
|
| Date Issued |
2002
|
| Description |
Robert Schumann's music is frequently noted for its rhythmic complexity at the
surface level, within apparently regular duple and quadruple phrase structures. However,
not all of Schumann's music is based on regular phrase lengths or regular hypermetric
patterns. The interaction between motivic relationships, different types of accents and
harmonic structure in his later music creates a conflict between metric and group
structures, and necessitates a more careful consideration of these two categories and of
this interaction. This paper examines Schumann's use of these ways of subdividing
music, and analyzes five of his later works from 1849 and 1853: 1) the Adagio from the
Adagio and Allegro for Piano and Horn, Op. 70. 2) Phantasiestucke, Op. 73, No. 1.
3) Four Marches for Piano, Op. 76, No. 1. 4) Marchenerz'ahlungen, Op. 132, No. 3, and
5) Ges'dnge der Fr'uhe, Op. 133, No. 2.
This paper consists of two parts. The first chapter discusses and clarifies the
definitions of the terms that are related to rhythmic structure, such as group, span,
phrase, clause, measure, and chunk. The second chapter contains detailed analyses of the
five late works by Schumann. The analyses demonstrate the irregular grouping lengths
and span structure, as well as the ambiguous hypermeter and accentual structure in his
late works. The focus on the span structure in each piece helps to enhance understanding
of the music's overall structure. These analyses illustrate an interaction between various
modes of partitioning the musical flow in each piece, as a way of showing a coherent
rhythmic result that provides a positive picture of Schumann's achievement in these
works.
|
| Extent |
2480803 bytes
|
| Genre | |
| Type | |
| File Format |
application/pdf
|
| Language |
eng
|
| Date Available |
2009-08-17
|
| Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
|
| Rights |
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
|
| DOI |
10.14288/1.0090314
|
| URI | |
| Degree | |
| Program | |
| Affiliation | |
| Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
|
| Graduation Date |
2002-05
|
| Campus | |
| Scholarly Level |
Graduate
|
| Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
|
Item Media
Item Citations and Data
Rights
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.