The year 1840 is considered "the year of song" in Schumann's life—not an unreasonable designation, since it saw the completion of over 130 songs. Among those produced that year were three of the five Lieder und Gesänge, Vol. 2, published by Whistling in 1850.

"Sehnsucht" (Yearning), setting a poem by Emanuel Geibel, indeed dates from 1840 (the date given in the Complete Edition—1842—is incorrect). Its protagonist yearns for a bucolic wonderland somewhere in the south, but is tied to his miserable existence in the north. Schumann's highly modified strophic setting sounds almost through-composed, and the refrain, "O die Schranken so eng, und die Welt so weit, und so flüchtig die Zeit" (Our boundaries are so narrow, and the world so wide, and time is fleeting), appears in several different keys.

Schumann set "Volksliedchen" (Little Folksong), by Friedrich Rückert (1788-1866), in a simple style that complements its title; the relative naivete of this song contrasts nicely with the preceding "Sehnsucht." In two verses, the narrator tells of her feelings for her lover, who is the first thing on her mind every morning when she walks into her garden.

"Ich wandre nicht" (I Do Not Wander), by C. Christern, is probably a re-composition of Schumann's Scherzo, Op. 39/2, of 1839. Christern's narrator has no desire to travel the world because his sweetheart will not come with him, and he finds his homeland to be very beautiful. Schumann's strophic setting is built of melodic fragments, each setting a reference to a supposed attraction of the world; each of these is a transformation of the one preceding.

"Auf dem Rhein" (On the Rhine), by K.L. Immermann, dates from 1846. Immermann's subject compares her sweetheart to the Nibelungen treasure (later immortalized in Wagner's Ring)—hidden in the river, never to be taken away by thieves. Schumann's setting is solemn, the piano part tracing nearly every note of the melody. The range of the voice part remains narrow, low and mostly stepwise until the woman mentions her lover imbedded in her heart, at which point the melody becomes more active and slightly higher.

In 1850, Schumann set "Liebeslied" (Love Song), by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832). The constant, rolling-arpeggio accompaniment stands out among the songs of Op. 51, the rest of which feature either repeated chords or piano parts that move with the voice. Schumann rounds out the set of five songs by casting "Liebeslied" in the same key as that of "Sehnsucht."

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2.Volksliedchen (Wenn ich frueh in den Garten geh)

Praised for its subtly of expression, Volksliedchen, Op. 51/2 (Little Song), is an engaging and delightfully brief work. Written in G major in 2/4 time, the tender, quiet tune is a girl's merry recollection of curiously investigating her lover's whereabouts. Schumann set only the first two verses of Rückert's simple poem and borrowed almost all of the musical material from several songs of Liederkreis, Op. 24, Myrthen, Op. 25, and Dichterliebe, Op. 48. After the merry opening, the piece becomes serious when the protagonist sings about her dedicated affection. Increased chromaticism, higher vocal notes, and the doubling of the last line signify her increased impatience in the final verse, which is essentially a repetition of the first. In these outer sections, the piano's staccatos support her joyful gait, springing vocal leaps and playful message, as well as mimic her emotions, especially in the anxious postlude. The tune was included in a Mozart Memorial Album and modestly alludes to the composer's stylistic grace and finesse. It was intended to be a part of the dedication ceremonies of the Mozart Monument in Salzburg.

© Meredith Gailey, All Music Guide

5.Liebeslied (Dir zu eroeffnen mein Herz)

As Myrthen, Op. 25, illustrates, Robert Schumann was frequently drawn to Goethe's lighthearted poems; however, when he did choose to set one of the poet's romantic texts, the music was always written with delicate sensitivity. For example, Liebeslied, Op. 51/5 (Lovesong), the closing work of Lieder und Gesänge, Vol. II, Op. 51, is passionately alive with expression in the way the singer's line intimately mingles and converses with those of the piano. This close relationship between the two parts is one that the protagonist yearns to have with the one she secretly admires; the ultimate separation of the piano and voice line suggests that a fulfilling exchange is an unattainable goal for the two characters. Previously quiet, the vocal line begins to crescendo about halfway through the tune and grows with intensity as emotions become more intense. Meanwhile, the piano's dynamics, which wax and wane with independence in the first section, tend to move parallel to those of the vocalist in the latter half. Prior to the four-bar postlude, Schumann further stressed the protagonist's need for reservation at the repeated words "und kann es nicht" (I can not) by including a diminuendo alongside the marking zurückhaltend (with restraint).

© Meredith Gailey, All Music Guide