Andrew HannReading Response 2Dr. SmookeMarch 19, 2014

Evaluating Schueberts In der Ferne from Schwanengesang while incorporating the views of David Lewin based on his article Auf dem Flusse: Image and Background in a Schubert Song provides a deeper understanding of the text with regard to the music. In Lewins article he prefers to consider a song based on three elements he identifies as: actor, script, and dramatic reading. This division of parts to consider within a song seem to be in direct correlation with Cones implicit musical persona, poetic persona, and protagonist; respectively. Lewin also points out that the song must be a separate poem-on-X rather than a reading of the original poem-on-X because the addition of music; both in regards to the composition itself and the performer, change the original poem so drastically. The text for In der Ferne seems to lend itself to a more normal strophic or ternary form for the song; however Schubert sets it as two repeated strophes, with a drastically altered third strophe, followed by a coda. While this is not completely inhibiting the poetic structure, it adds more emphasis to the final verse of the poem, and provides a deeper concentration on the loss of the love who has broken his heart. The first two verses of poetry take up half of the content of the composed music, whereas the final verse takes the other half. The cadential structure of the first two strophes adds to a feeling of unrest, in that the only perfect authentic cadence we have, is the final cadence at the end of the verse. By using half cadences and exploring the mediant, Schubert builds our increased intensity to the end of both verses. The third verse, although it changes to major mode and changes the accompaniment, follows the same cadential pattern of waiting until the end of the verse to get a perfect authentic cadence. However, when the text is repeated with different music, it is increased longing by adding deceptive cadences and inauthentic cadences, until finally ending on an authentic cadence back in b minor. Schubert does an excellent job of setting a text that speaks of roaming and leaving, in a static simple way, questioning the singers true desire to not flee but stay constant. However, in the third verse, even though the protagonist has stayed constant, the music and surroundings has changed to an agitated motion that surrounds the character. The sudden change is due to the entrance of the breeze and gently ruffling waves, shown by the change in accompaniment. The unsettling focus on the mediant key, provides a feeling of indecision and angst throughout the piece. Adding to this sense of unrest is the addition of a low pedal dominant tone. The slight change in the second verse is intensified in the rise of the vocal line. With the highest and most intense moment right before the end of the piece on the final Welt hinaus Ziehenden. It is also interesting to note, specifically in the final verse, Schuberts mixing on two against three. He chooses to use it at the beginning, however when the text turns to speaking about she who with agony broke my loyal heart, the accompaniment unifies in a triplet pattern. Then changes to duple pattern with some mixture through the end of that beginning third verse. In the repetition of the third verse, he creates musical space in between lines, and changes where he mixes two to three, however again when speaking of his love there is a unification of the triplets. On the final repetition he adds this rhythmic mixture on the word fleeing, however in the final measures in piano unifies again to triplets adding to a sense of resolve. In a close examination of measures 8-29, you can see a regular cadential phrase structure over an unusual harmonic progression. Measures 8-12 form a normal half cadential structure one might expect, which is followed by a transition to focus on the mediant key to measure 16. This is then followed by an odd addition of bI through measure 21, which then returns to a focus on the mediant key, which ends in the expected resolution of cadential 6/4, V7, to i. The affect of this musically is a juxtaposition of static rhythmic and cadential figure over a wandering harmonic progression through different tonal areas. As the text intensifies, hating his mothers house, leaving friends, so does the musical harmony intensify. The use of b minor and the static rhythmic pattern at the beginning give a barren sense of the surrounding atmosphere for the protagonist. While the text only speaks of breezes at the end and waves, the music is able from the beginning to set the scene for winter. From just the text, an argument can be made that the orator is not necessarily feeling a part of what the text is describing, however the placement in the voice (middle low register) and the accompaniment suggest that the character is feeling the unrest that is described in the text. The text could also suggest that it is Spring, a time when birds leave the nest and often people begin to move or change, the music implies a completely different setting. The text also could suggest a character who is positively fleeing from the world of sorrow, however the return to b minor and the overall mood of the song suggest that the character has resigned to a more negative fleeing from the world.