Robert Schumann once described his lieder as a ”mirror image of his self”. This applies particularly to his compositions from Heinrich Heine’s “Buch der Lieder”.
What began as a lyrical intermezzo, then developed into “Dichterliebe”, a work with which Schumann identified the ardour of his love for Clara Wieck.
This work still presents an enigma to performers; how Schumann interpretes Heine’s irony in his music is often discussed. But one thing is certain: with “Dichterliebe” the composer created what is perhaps the best-loved and one of the most tightly-woven lieder cycles of the Romantic period.
This new edition presents the work based on the first edition. It takes Schumann’s autograph score into consideration, an autograph score where there have recently been discussions as to whether it should be presented as an independent alternative version. The four lieder omitted by Schumann from the printed edition are included in the appendix.