Assembled from songs Schumann left unpublished at his death, the four lieder of Op. 142 were published in 1858 by Rieter-Biedermann and dedicated to Frau Livia Frege by the publisher.

"Trost im Gesang" (Solace in song), by Justinus Kerner, laments the lonely existence of the night traveler. Just as the traveler wanders off the path because it is difficult to see, Schumann moves from the opening E flat major to a distant D major at the center of this ternary-form structure. The accompaniment, plodding and non-melodic, follows the rhythm of the melody but not the shape.

"Lehn' deine Wang'" (Rest your cheeks [against my cheeks]), by Heinrich Heine (1797-1856), was originally intended for the Dichterliebe, Op. 48; set aside by the composer, it remained unknown until after his death. Opening in G minor, the song's narrator asks a lover to lay her cheek against his so their tears may mingle. The second half of the song modulates to a new key as the narrator talks of the lovers' inner flames and how he will die from love's yearning. Schumann conveys the sense of "yearning" by closing the song on the dominant, with no hint of resolution.

In "Mädchen-Schwermut" (Girl's sadness), probably by Lily Bernhard, a girl weeps over her place in the joyless world. In E minor throughout, the song's melody progresses from repeated notes to a more passionate, arching shape in the second half, in which the accompaniment, too, becomes more animated. Schumann depicts the emptiness of the girl's heart by abruptly stopping the right hand flourish at the end of the song, leaving only the open chord in the bass.

"Mein Wagen rollet langsam" (My carriage rolls slowly), by Heine, was also intended for the Dichterliebe, Op. 48. Schumann's accompaniment depicts the slow, uneven progress of the carriage through the forest, while the constantly descending voice part creates an atmosphere of low energy. In the second verse, three "shadows" come to the carriage and nod mockingly at the passenger; when they giggle and rush away the accompaniment becomes more animated.

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3.Mädchen - Schwermut

Intense darkness was an ongoing theme in Robert Schumann's songs, and "Mädchen-Schwermut," Op. 142/3 (Melancholy Maiden), is no exception. The words of this composition, by Clara Schumann's friend Lily Bernhard, are both tender and tragic, and speak of an empty, hopeless soul who has become cut off from the world of beauty and joy. Furthermore, they are biographically reflective of the composer's own mental state at the time he composed the setting. Slow, soft, and in 3/8 time, the piece is essentially a simple, single repetition of the first lifeless stanza with an added, slightly more interesting section at the end. The second verse's upward leap of a seventh, with crescendo and ritardando, announces the climax; however, it is the short, chromatic prelude that most effectively captures the tune's emotion. The work was published posthumously in 1858 as a part of Vier Gesänge, Op. 142.

© Meredith Gailey, Rovi

4.Mein Wagen rollet langsam

Robert Schumann's "Mein Wagen rollet langsam Op. 142/4" ("My Wagon Rolls Slowly" was written in 1840, his famous "Song year." During that time, he was courting Clara Wieck, who inspired so many of his songs, probably this one included. In April of that year, while the two were awaiting the court's permission to marry, they were able to spend a few days together in Berlin. The trip brought Schumann delight and, unfortunately, the heartache of reestablished separation. Upon his return to Leipzig, he composed this short and tender song, along with several others that were, as he described to Wieck, "my most romantic music ever, with much of you in it." The text of "Mein Wagen rollet langsam" was taken from a poem by Heinrich Heine, and in the song the vocalist retells of his heartfelt journey through lush woodlands and valleys, where reminiscent memories of love brought pleasant ghosts in and out of his wagon.



Although "Mein Wagen rollet langsam" is now contained in the cycle entitled, Vier Gesänge Op. 142, along with "Trost im Gesang Op. 142/1" by Kerner, "Lehn' deine Wang' Op. 142/2" also by Heine and "Mädchen - Schwermut Op. 142/3" by Lily Bernhard, the song was originally placed in 1840 in a work entitled 20 Lieder und Gesänge aus dem Lyrischen Intermezzo im Buch der Lieder. Schumann was very attentive to his song numbers and their order and he removed "Mein Wagen", "Dein Angesicht", "Lehn' deine Wang'" and "Es leuchtet meine Liebe" from the 20 piece cycle, renaming it Dichterliebe. "Mein Wagen" was intended to be the 16th song in the 20 piece cycle, placed with its pair, "Es leuchtet meine Liebe", directly after "Am leuchtenden Sommermorgen". It was only in the midst of initial publication plans (1843 - 4) with Peters, that the composer chose to alter the original set.



The greatest strength of "Mein Wagen" is found in its brilliant piano part that unfortunately overshadows the importance of the vocal line. The tendency to give more effort and concern to the accompaniment was a common habit of Schumann, and a natural mistake for a pianist-composer. The unbalanced focus on the secondary instrument in this work is not nearly as disproportionate as in "Liebesbotschaft", where removal of the voice yields a Romance in F for piano solo. While it was rather unusual for Schumann to use recurring rhythmic patterns in his songwriting, it added realism to the descriptive figuration of "Mein Wagen". Here, he let the arpeggiated piano chords recreate the slow, regular roll of the wagon wheels. Schumann also used this technique to imitate the spinning-wheel in "Die Spinnerin" and the flow of water in "Im Rhein" and "Berg' und Burgen". "Mein Wagen rollet langsam" was published posthumously in 1858 by Rieter-Biedermann and has been frequently recorded with the songs of 20 Lieder und Gesänge and Vier Gesänge.

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