Leipzig and the Gewandhaus:

1
Chapter 54

• Leipzig and the Gewandhaus
• Felix Mendelssohn and the Schumanns

2
Lecture Overview

• The German-speaking world 1814-71
• Felix Mendelssohn
• life and music
• Trio in D minor, Op. 49, movement 1
• Robert Schumann
• life and music
• Symphony No. 1, movement 2 (Larghetto)
• Women and music in the 19th century
• Clara Wieck Schumann
• life and music
• song Liebst du um Schönheit
• Review

3
The German World After 1815

• After the fall of Napoleon in 1814, a hodge-podge
  of thirty-nine German states emerged, and these
  were loosely allied into a German Confederation.
  The two most powerful lands were Prussia to the
  northeast and the sprawling Austrian Empire to
  the southeast. Wedged between them was the small
  Kingdom of Saxony, with its capital in Dresden
  and its intellectual center in Leipzig.
  Throughout the 19th century, Saxony was fertile
  soil for the raising of great composers.

4
The Life of Felix Mendelssohn (18091847)

• 1809 Mendelssohn born in Hamburg to a wealthy
  banking family grows up in Berlin
• 1816 converts to Christianity and takes the
  additional name Bartholdy
• 1829 conducts parts of Bachs St. Matthew
  Passion in Berlin, beginning the Bach Revival
• 1833 conductor of the orchestra in Düsseldorf
• 1835-47 conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra in
  Leipzig
• 1842 active in musical life of Berlin, at the
  invitation of the King of Prussia
• 1843 helps to found and direct the Leipzig
  Conservatory
• 1847 dies in Leipzig, only months after the
  death of his sister Fanny

5
Principal Compositions by Felix Mendelssohn

• Orchestra 12 early string symphonies, 5
  numbered symphonies concertos (2 for piano, 1
  for violin)
• Piano character pieces (including Songs
  Without Words), sonatas, variations, organ music
• Chamber music string quartets, trios, quintets,
  sextets, octet instrumental sonatas
• Chorus oratorios (St. Paul, Elijah), cantatas,
  music for the church
• Songs over 100

6
Felix Mendelssohn, Trio in D Minor, Op. 49,
1839, movement 1
Sonata form
7
The Life of Robert Schumann (18101856)

• 1810 born in the Saxon village of Zwickau, son
  of a book dealer
• 1828 briefly studies law at the University in
  Leipzig and in Heidelberg
• 1830 returns to Leipzig to study piano with
  Friedrich Wieck
• 1833 founds the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik
• 1840 marries Clara Wieck after a stormy
  courtship
• 1844 moves to Dresden, later to Düsseldorf
• 1854 confined to mental institution in Endenich
  (near Bonn)
• 1856 dies in Endenich

8
The Principal Compositions of Robert Schumann

• Orchestra symphonies (4) concertos (piano,
  cello, violin) concert overtures
• Chamber music string quartets (3), piano trios,
  music with piano instrumental sonatas
• Piano cycles of character pieces including
• Carnival
• Papillons
• Fantasiestücke
• Kinderscenen
• Songs include the cycles
• Dichterliebe
• Frauenliebe- und leben
• Myrthen

9
Robert Schumann, Symphony No. 1 in Bb Major
(Spring), 1841, movement 2 (Larghetto)
Rondo form
10
The Principal Compositions of Clara Schumann

• Orchestra Piano Concerto in A Minor
• Chamber music Piano Trio in G minor
• Piano character pieces, variations
• Songs about 25

11
Clara Schumann, Liebst du um Schönheit, 1841.
Text by Friedrich Rückert
Varied strophic form
12
Review Key Terms

• Hugo Riemann
• functional harmony
• complete works (type of musical edition)
• Gewandhaus Orchestra
• Bartholdy
• Bach Revival
• canon
• Neue Zeitschrift für Musik
• Carnaval