Eileen Feldman, Pianist - Schumann, Davidsbündlertänze, op. 6

Eileen Feldman, Pianist

Davidsbündlertänze (Dances of the League of David), op. 6, is a group of eighteen pieces for solo piano composed by Robert Schumann in 1837. Schumann named by him after the imaginary Davidsbündler. The pieces are not true dances, but are characteristic pieces, musical dialogues about contemporary music between Schumann's characters Florestan and Eusebius. These respectively represent the impetuous and the lyrical, poetic sides of Schumann's nature. Each piece is ascribed to one or both of them. Their names follow the first piece and the appropriate initial or initials follow each of the others except the sixteenth (which leads directly into the seventeenth, the ascription for which applies to both) and the ninth and eighteenth, which are respectively preceded by the following remarks:

"Here Florestan made an end, and his lips quivered painfully"

and

"Quite superfluously Eusebius remarked as follows: but all the time great bliss spoke from his eyes."

The suite ends with the striking of twelve low C's to signify the coming of midnight and the end of festivities.

Peter Kaminsky has analysed the structure of the work in detail.[1]

The first edition is preceded by the following epigraph:

Alter Spruch:

In all und jeder Zeit
Verknpft sich Lust und Leid:
Bleibt fromm in Lust und seid
Dem Leid mit Mut bereit

(Old saying:

In each and every age
joy and sorrow are mingled:
Remain pious in joy,
and be ready for sorrow with courage.)

The individual pieces, unnamed, have the following tempo markings, keys and ascriptions:

* 1. Lebhaft (Vivace), G major, Florestan and Eusebius;
* 2. Innig (Con intimo sentimento), B minor, Eusebius;
* 3. Etwas hahnbchen (Un poco impetuoso) (1st edition), Mit Humor (Con umore) (2nd edition), G major, Florestan (Hahnbchen, now usually hahnebchen (also hanebchen or hagebchen), is an untranslatable colloquialism roughly meaning "coarse" or "clumsy." Apparently, it originally meant "made of hornbeam wood." (See the article "Hanebchen" in the German version of Wikipedia.) Ernest Hutcheson translated it as "cockeyed" in his book The Literature of the Piano.);
* 4. Ungeduldig (Con impazienza), B minor, Florestan;
* 5. Einfach (Semplice), D major, Eusebius;
* 6. Sehr rasch und in sich hinein (Molto vivo, con intimo fervore) (1st edition), Sehr rasch (Molto vivo) (2nd edition), D minor, Florestan;
* 7. Nicht schnell mit uerst starker Empfindung (Non presto profondamente espressivo) (1st edition), Nicht schnell (Non presto) (2nd edition), G minor, Eusebius;
* 8. Frisch (Con freschezza), C minor, Florestan;
* 9. No tempo indication (metronome mark of 1 crotchet = 126) (1st edition), Lebhaft (Vivace) (2nd edition), C major, Florestan;
* 10. Balladenmig sehr rasch (Alla ballata molto vivo) (1st edition), ("Sehr" and "Molto" capitalized in 2nd edition), D minor (ends major), Florestan;
* 11. Einfach (Semplice), B minor-D major, Eusebius;
* 12. Mit Humor (Con umore), B minor-E minor and major, Florestan;
* 13. Wild und lustig (Selvaggio e gaio), B minor and major, Florestan and Eusebius;
* 14. Zart und singend (Dolce e cantando), Eb major, Eusebius;
* 15. Frisch (Con freschezza), Bb major - Etwas bewegter (poco piu mosso), Eb major (return to opening section is optional), Florestan and Eusebius;
* 16. Mit gutem Humor (Con buon umore) (in 2nd edition, "Con umore"), G major - Etwas langsamer (Un poco pi lento), B minor; leading without a break into
* 17. Wie aus der Ferne (Come da lontano), B major and minor (including a full reprise of No. 2), Florestan and Eusebius; and
* 18. Nicht schnell (Non presto), C major, Eusebius.

Davidsbündlertänze. (2008, April 9). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 03:05, May 19, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Davidsb%C3%BCndlert%C3%A4nze&oldid=204352377




This album is a recording of a live performance for the Somerville Open Studios third annual Music Fest on May 3, 2008. It was produced by Randy Winchester for ARTSomerville.  CD quality FLAC files of this recording are available from http://www.archive.org/details/EileenFeldmanPianist-SchumannDavidsbndlertnzeOp.6 .

ARTSomerville (ARTS) is a volunteer arts organization based in Somerville, Massachusetts, USA, which draws upon the talents of local creativity, strengthening communication among artists and the public by presenting exhibits, performances, and educational activities. Albums appearing under the ARTSomerville logo are from artists that have given performances at ARTSomerville sponsored events. Visit http://www.artsomerville.org to learn more.