Robert Schumann, "Grillen" from Fantasiestucke, Opus 12
Music in the nineteenth century saw the creation and evolution of new music genres such as the piano miniature, short expressive piano pieces. During this time raw emotion and expressionism prevailed as the focus of music during this described "Romantic" movement. Robert Schumann's "Grillen", from Fantasiestucke, Opus 12 was written in July 1837 contains several virtues of music during his time period. Schumann's uses various qualities in his music such as form, pitch, rhythm and meter, and texture so express different attitudes within his music. These qualities convey music that characterizes romanticism as very emotional, expressional, and dramatic. Schumann's piano miniature remains a supreme example of the Romantic style in its uses of form, pitch, rhythm, and texture.
Although the romantic period lays higher interest in the melody and style of a piece rather than form, Schumann uses form to heighten to display the contrasting emotions within each section. Schumann's work encompasses a form that is very easily recognizable and unambiguous. His form of
ABACABA
is very repetitious with very similar sections throughout the song. His sections also contain familiar sub-sections in each section and can be mapped out as the first two A's being aa' and the B as aba. C is the only section that cannot be clearly mapped out into sub-sections, and is better not partitioned. The third A returns to the strong expressive aa' and is followed in B as aba. The final A begins with the first exactly the same as the corresponding preceding sections but the ending adds a variation to the a' usually noted as the end of section A. Schumann's parity in the sections in the piece makes the sections very noticeable but also emphasizes the contrast in expression in between the sections. The rhythm in Schumann's Grillen is a leading factor that gives the piece a high amount of expression and emotion. Section A starts out quickly and forcefully, the opening pulse
Although the romantic period lays higher interest in the melody and style of a piece rather than form, Schumann uses form to heighten to display the contrasting emotions within each section. Schumann's work encompasses a form that is very easily recognizable and unambiguous. His form of
ABACABA
is very repetitious with very similar sections throughout the song. His sections also contain familiar sub-sections in each section and can be mapped out as the first two A's being aa' and the B as aba. C is the only section that cannot be clearly mapped out into sub-sections, and is better not partitioned. The third A returns to the strong expressive aa' and is followed in B as aba. The final A begins with the first exactly the same as the corresponding preceding sections but the ending adds a variation to the a' usually noted as the end of section A. Schumann's parity in the sections in the piece makes the sections very noticeable but also emphasizes the contrast in expression in between the sections. The rhythm in Schumann's Grillen is a leading factor that gives the piece a high amount of expression and emotion. Section A starts out quickly and forcefully, the opening pulse