Davidsbündlertänze


Davidsbündlertänze, Op. 6, is a group of eighteen pieces for piano composed in 1837 by Robert Schumann, who named them after his music society Davidsbündler. The low opus number is misleading: the work was written after Carnaval, Op. 9, and the Symphonic Studies, Op. 13. The work is widely regarded as one of Schumann's greatest achievements and as one of the greatest piano works of the Romantic era.
Robert Schumann's early piano works were substantially influenced by his relationship with Clara Wieck. On September 5, 1839, Schumann wrote to his former professor: "She was practically my sole motivation for writing the Davidsbündlertänze, the Concerto, the Sonata and the Novellettes." They are an expression of his passionate love, anxieties, longings, visions, dreams and fantasies.
The theme of the Davidsbündlertänze is based on a mazurka by Clara Wieck.
The intimate character pieces are his most personal work. In 1838, Schumann told Clara that the Dances contained "many wedding thoughts" and that "the story is an entire Polterabend."
The pieces are not true dances, but 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 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."
In the second edition of the work, Schumann removed these ascriptions and remarks and the "tänze" from the title, as well as making various alterations, including the addition of some repeats. The first edition is generally favored, though some readings from the second are often used. The suite ends with the striking of twelve low Cs to signify the coming of midnight.
Peter Kaminsky has analysed the structure of the work in detail.
The first edition is preceded by the following epigraph:

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

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

Section

The individual pieces, unnamed, have the following tempo markings, keys and ascriptions:
  1. Lebhaft: Lively, G major, Florestan and Eusebius;
  2. Innig: Heartfelt, B minor, Eusebius;
  3. Etwas hahnbüchen: Something cocky , Mit Humor: With humor , G major, Florestan ;
  4. Ungeduldig: Impatient, B minor, Florestan;
  5. Einfach: Easy, D major, Eusebius;
  6. Sehr rasch und in sich hinein: Very quickly and inwardly , Sehr rasch: Very quickly , D minor, Florestan;
  7. Nicht schnell mit äußerst starker Empfindung: Not fast with very strong sensation , Nicht schnell: Not fast , G minor, Eusebius;
  8. Frisch: Fresh, C minor, Florestan;
  9. No tempo indication , Lebhaft: Lively , C major, Florestan;
  10. Balladenmäßig sehr rasch: Balladically very fast ,, D minor, Florestan;
  11. Einfach: Easy, B minor–D major, Eusebius;
  12. Mit Humor: With humor, B minor–E minor and major, Florestan;
  13. Wild und lustig: Wild and funny, B minor and major, Florestan and Eusebius;
  14. Zart und singend: Tender and singing, E major, Eusebius;
  15. Frisch: Fresh, B major – Etwas bewegter: Something more moving, E major with a return to the opening section, Florestan and Eusebius;
  16. Mit gutem Humor: With good sense of humor , G major – Etwas langsamer: A little slower, B minor; leading without a break into
  17. Wie aus der Ferne: How far away, B major and minor, Florestan and Eusebius; and finally,
  18. Nicht schnell: Not fast, C major, Eusebius.