Schumann was such a quick and prolific composer that it's often difficult to draw distinct points of development in his style, but Schumann himself described these songs as "my most Romantic music ever." The Eichendorff texts are (with the exception of "Intermezzo," in which the location is not specified) all set outdoors, often with direct references to nature, and each refers to travel, whether thoughts traveling to a beloved or a physical journey, both typical Romantic concepts. They are also highly Romantic in their expressive moodiness, whether ecstatic or melancholy, and the occasional aura of mystery, whether the unexplained tears of the bride in "Auf einer Burg" or the supernatural in "Waldesgesprach." Schumann's selection of these varied poems itself creates a Romantic juxtaposition of emotions, and the passionate settings capture and emphasize those aspects.

They also show Schumann's increasing sophistication as a song composer; the piano becomes more important in its own right, and the scene painting from the piano is among Schumann's best, creating the desired effects immediately and with no excess. (The exception is the relentlessly jolly "Der frohe Wandersmann," which originally opened the cycle and which Schumann left out of the 1850 and subsequent editions.) For example, "Waldesgesprach" uses an alluring lyrical figure that quickly paints the seductive, wild figure of the Lorelei, a recitative-like dialog between the protagonists, and a hunting theme that first depicts the man as the hunter and the woman as the object of his hunt, and repeats at the end, ironically, to show the reversal of roles by the end of the song. There are quick characterizations, such as the sudden surge at "du schöne Braut" suggesting an eager lunge towards the lady, and the almost smugly seductive decrescendo on the honeyed "heim."

The cycle is atypical of Schumann in the relative lack of musical linkages between and among the songs. There is no piano postlude reprising a theme from the first song, as there is in "Frauenliebe und -leben" or "Dichterliebe," and while there are tonal connections between songs, most notably between "Auf einer Burg" and the following "In der Fremde" (which also share similar imagery), they are less closely constructed than the connections in other song cycles.

Schumann often integrated references to his and Clara's love in his songs and his instrumental and orchestral writing. In the second song, "Intermezzo," he includes the famous "Clara theme," a descending five-note pattern that in German notation spells out her name. Numerous elements of the cycle reflect events of Schumann's own life—from blissful love to the wedding procession that fills the listener with sorrow in "Im Walde," paranoia in "Zwielicht," and finally the various images of death.

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1.In der Fremde ('Aus der Heimat hinter den Blitzen rot')

In the second edition of Liederkreis, Op. 39, Robert Schumann removed "Der Frohe Wandersman" and replaced it with "In der Fremde," Op. 39/1 (In Foreign Parts), which has remained in the cycle ever since. Perhaps its most historically significant aspect was its incorrect attribution to his wife Clara, due to the fact that the only surviving copy is in her handwriting. The song's morbid mood undoubtably helped to eventually attribute the work to the older composer. With text by Eichendorff, the work is about a man who has become unknown in his homeland and anticipates the peace of his grave. The motive of the work is a rising and falling fifth in the right hand of the piano contrasted by the frequent seventh interval in the voice part. Schumann used a simple melody to express the wanderer's longing, a modulation to give the song a fable-like feel, and elongated melodic phrases to create intensity. This sepulchral composition concludes with a plagal cadence giving the work an archaic feeling, appropriately matched to its cloudy recollection of kinder times. The song makes mild allusions to Schumann's other composition of the same title, the eighth work in Liederkreis.

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2.Intermezzo

The overall feel of the second song of Liederkreis, Op. 39, "Intermezzo," is brilliant rapture. A contrast to the floating vocal line, the accompaniment's pleasant syncopation is formed in the bass measures that begin with single sixteenth notes that are followed by multiple eighth notes. A repetition of the first verse, about a picture of a loved one, closes the work after the second verse mentions a song that spiritually connects the lovers. The vocal line of the outer sections is quicker and moves with less piano support than that of the middle. The vocalist determines the tempo; as a result, a promising performance calls for confidence, the application of skilled musicianship, and attentive communication between the two performers. The song's syncopation is maintained until the end of the penultimate measure; two half-note chords close the soft four-bar postlude. Although Schumann's pauses were alterations to Eichendorff's rhythm, they do not disturb the text's meaning.

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3.Waldesgespräch ('Es ist schon spät, es ist schon kalt')

Written in 1840, Robert Schumann's "Waldesgespräch," Op. 39, No. 3 (Conversation in the Forest), is one of two sinister forest scenes found in the cycle Liederkreis, Op. 39. This dramatic and animated work is based on the Loreley myth, as explored in the poetry of Eichendorff. Upon ignorantly entering a haunted forest, a man is deceived by what he believes is a beautiful lost bride and offers to escort her out. But during a brief conversation her demonic constitution is revealed, and she declares that he is eternally trapped in the dark woods. The composer's primary musical focus is the conflicting natures of the two characters. He chose to portray the strength of the man with dynamic horn motives, and used a harp for the Loreley's ballad-like role. In addition, Schumann uses the power of a key change to emphasize their dissimilar moral codes and personalities. However, this structure is forfeited in the second verse so that the song may end in its home key of E major. Schumann appropriately reused this key in "Loreley," Op. 53/2, from Romanzen und Balladen, Vol. III, also composed in 1840. With the exception of a diminished dominant seventh chord used to signify the Loreley's grief, the melody and harmony of "Waldesgespräch" are based on the simple alternation of the tonic, subdominant, and dominant. The second forest theme of Liederkreis appears in "Zwielicht," Op. 39/10, a frightful warning of the terrors of the night.

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4.Die Stille

Clad in men's attire to accompany the man she fancies, the protagonist of "Die Stille," Op. 39/4 (The Silence), Erwine, exposes her secret affections after a brief, fulfilling kiss. The text was taken from Eichendorff's poem at the end of chapter 14 of Ahnung und Gegenwart. Robert Schumann omitted the third verse and repeated the first, rounding out the form and intentionally avoiding resolution. Kept very soft throughout, the nervousness of this scherzo in 6/8 time is magnified by the piano's many staccatos. Through a parlando, the vocalist makes many light brief statements, which are interrupted by multiple rests. The center section is freely animated, but with restraint and a subtle feel of legato. Lingering on the most airy, delicate notes of the last stanza, the vocalist closes her confession in tempo, with exclamation and a ritardando. Later in the Liederkreis, Op. 39, cycle, the hope of this ecstatic tune succumbs to the melancholy of "Wehmut," Op. 39/9.

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5.Mondnacht

When Robert Schumann wrote to his wife explaining that, "The Eichendorff cycle is my most Romantic music ever, and it contains much of you," one of the works of Liederkreis, Op. 39, that he was probably referring was "Mondnacht," Op. 39/5 (Moonlight Night). Written in 1840 while he was in Berlin, the piece is considered one of the world's loveliest nocturnes and is believed to have been first sung by Mendelssohn. The ambience of this slow, sustained, strophic song, is based on a few of the poet's delicate words that describe the tender rapture of twilight. It is built almost entirely on one simple melodic eight-bar phrase that is repeated twice to form each verse, except the last, in which the phrase is preceded by eight measures of new material. The prelude reappears between the verses to provide separation and cohesion, making the work's structure comparable to medieval barform. Schumann brought the poem to life in a number of ways. First, he attempted to give the work's phrases endless depth by adding short breaks for breath and by employing suspended fifths. Secondly, he emphasized the union of the earth and sky by repeatedly spelling out the word "ehe" (marriage) in the piano part with the notes E, B, E, creating an intense fusion between music and meaning. Thirdly, between phrases, he used the piano to imitate the rustling of the wings of his soul as it "flew over the countryside." Upon returning home from Berlin, Schumann presented a copy of the work to his mother-in-law, in celebration of her birthday.

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6.Schöne Fremde

Robert Schumann was deeply fascinated by the element of mystery and brought it into his song cycle Liederkreis, Op. 39, through Schöne Fremde, Op. 39/6 (A Beautiful Spot in Foreign Parts 1840). With text by Eichendorff, this spirited, shimmering vision of intense physical and spiritual delight describes the splendor of the mystical twilight. Because of the work's quieted mood of restrained happiness, it demands considerable control from the piano in the postlude, and from the vocalist throughout. The score indicates that the voice part, in addition to being interpretively challenging, calls for "speech-like whispering." The introduction is extremely short because of the composers' use of activity-inducing-aphorisms, commonly employed in his other song cycles. Like so many of Schumann's piano works, the key is not fully evident until the conclusion, which contains an elongated postlude that echoes the vocal line. Unlike its appearance in the sinister Waldesgespräch, Op. 39/3, and Zwielicht, Op. 39/10, the feeling of mystery is mesmerically pleasant in Schöne Fremde, where lyrics speak of "ardent love" and "great happiness that is to come!"

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12.Frühlingsnacht ('Uberm Garten durch die Lüfte')

Written in 2/4 time in the key of F sharp, the swift, transient Frühlingsnacht, Op. 39/12 (Spring Night), possesses radiance not matched by any other song in Liederkreis, Op. 39, giving the cycle a joyful close. Observing and celebrating the glorious signs of spring, the protagonist hears the same message about his sweetheart repeated by the moon, stars, birds, and the forest: "Sie ist deine!" (She is yours!). Rushing forward with dozens of triplets, the piano's crescendos, which appear in nearly every measure, contribute greatly to the work's passionate mood. To match Eichendorff's carefully-formed, drawn-out intensity, Schumann saved the only full cadence for the end of the final verse, adding to the already climactic, forte conclusion. When the piece was sent out for publication, its editors insensitively added additional verses to the original two, which were already filled with their own depth.

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