Schumann's Träumerei: Analysis of Rhythm, Melody, and Form

Schumann's "Träumerei" Analysis

Rhythm

The rhythm is quaternary (binary double), marked "C", compasillo, equivalent to 4/4 time. There is no tempo indication, but instead, a marking corresponding to a slow metronome or Molto Adagio. Schumann commonly used German instead of Italian for score indications. The title, Träumerei (Dream), suggests a slow movement. The pace is regular and steady, yet deliberately ambiguous because the melodic emphasis and cadences fall on the second (weak) part of the measure. This mechanism enhances the piece's tension and expressiveness.

Melody

Melody is the predominant element, conveying the poetic sense and sensitivity of the composition. It is a melody of regular and symmetrical proportions, structured in eight bars, with two four-bar sub-periods. Each section uses the available features with dynamic changes. This song is clearly inspired by vocal lieder. It is conceived as a "theme" for further development, but has value in itself as a vehicle for poetic feeling.

Timbre

The timbre corresponds to the romantic piano that replaced the classic Viennese pianos of Mozart's time. This type, called English in origin, has a less crystalline, but softer and deeper timbre. The recurrent use of the pedal produces a flowing, blurred effect, unmistakably romantic.

Texture

The texture is homophonic, with the melody harmoniously supported. Counterpoint is suggested only in the last two bars of the first section, where the eighth-note subject in the left hand interacts with the dotted quarter and eighth notes in the right hand. This procedure appears twice in the modulating central section.

Form

The form is a small Lied, belonging to the Scenes of Childhood cycle. In this type of piano recital, a literary idea (here, the poetic reflection on children) structures the musical work, with each piece expressing a different nuance of the theme.

Genre

Although it is a programmatic composition, it links music and poetic reflection, an extramusical idea that seduced Romantic composers.

Artistic Period

Romanticism, first half of the nineteenth century.

Title

Dream, from the piano cycle Scenes of Childhood by Robert Schumann.