Robert Schumann, the son of a book dealer, exhibited an early love for things literary. The resulting bifurcation of his artistic leanings was articulated in a letter from December 1830, in which he lamented that "If only my talent for music and poetry would so converge into a single point, the light would not be so scattered, and I could attempt a great deal." The immediate realization of this wish was the beginning of a career in music criticism (he founded a music journal in 1834); however, it would eventually see its fullest expression in the composer's outpouring of German lieder. Despite the composer's secret disclaimer from 1839—"All my life I have considered vocal music inferior to instrumental music...But don't tell anyone this!"—the following year saw Schumann compose over 125 songs, many of which now constitute some of his most famous and familiar music. Among the first of his 1840 compositions were several settings of poems from Heinrich Heine's Buch der Lieder, gathered under the title Liederkreis, and published as Opus 24.

The bouncy boom-chuck of the bass line and chords that accompany the first song, "Morgens steh' ich auf und frage," might seem to gloss over the grief of the lovelorn speaker, who finds himself unable to sleep at night, yet wanders throughout the day half-conscious. Likewise, Schumann's setting of the fourth song, "Lieb' Liebchen, leg's Händchen," might seem a little cute for the macabre scene: a contemptuous carpenter hammering away in the lover's heart, building him a casket. Both cases, however, illuminate Schumann's particular talent for understatement: his seemingly simple lyrical outpourings are the perfect compliment to Heine's often ironic touch. In the first case, as in many of his settings, slight changes in texture reveal the musical surface to be a psychological façade, beneath which stirs a tortured soul; the singer's final note lands on an unresolved chord, his love unrequited, while the piano reaches the final cadential resolution alone. In the second example, there is a recurring moment of haunting disjunction: at the end of both verses, on the phrases "Der zimmert mir einen Totensarg" ("There he builds me a coffin") and "Damit ich balde schlafen kann" ("That I may sleep"), the final three syllables are postponed by an unexpected and jarring pause; the piano proceeds with the descending minor-mode line, while the voice follows, hesitatingly out of sync, two beats later. That such subtle irony was deeply felt by the composer could be suggested by biography: at the time of his composing the Liederkreis, his attempts to gain the hand of his sweetheart, Clara Wieck, had theretofore been thwarted by her disapproving father. It would be several more months before Schumann's own love life would cease to so resemble the bleak romantic outlook offered by Heine.

A similarly effective song from Op. 24 is "Schöne Wiege meiner Leiden." The graceful melody and pulsing accompaniment suggest an earnest outpouring of sorrow, even resignation; however, lingering under the surface is a bitterness made even more sour by its restrained tone. Together with other charming examples, including "Ich wandelte unter den Bäumen" and "Mit Myrten und Rosen," this song exemplifies the variety of expression and succinct lyricism that are most characteristic of Schumann's songs.

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By the time a listener reaches the last song of Liederkreis, Op. 24, the rage, heartache, melancholy, and bitterness of the cycle have transformed into a mood of tranquil dignity, as introduced by "Anfangs wollt' ich fast verzagen," Op. 24/8. Although the title of the closing piece "Mit Myrthen und Rosen, lieblich und hold," Op. 24/9 (With Myrtle and Roses), lends itself to non-circumstantial sentimentality, it is a work of intense seriousness best suited for solid voices capable of handling its interpretive challenges. Composed in D major, this "Innig" (heartfelt) work expresses a willingness of the protagonist to bury his passionate poems while holding fast to the hope that one day his message of sincere adoration will reach his beloved. Overall, the piece is characterized by a legato vocal line, maintained regardless of the piano's persuasive staccato beats and harmonic accents. In terms of tempo, the work is "nicht rasch" (not fast), becoming slower and quieter in the most tender sections, resisting a tendency to quicken during the piano's interlude, which occurs before the gradual deceleration of the adagio conclusion. The work shows the timeless qualities of Schumann's finest songs including precision, grace, Eusebian influence, and emotional vitality; it is a superb achievement for the closing work of his first numbered cycle of songs for solo voice.

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