The Secret of Kreisleriana

Why did Robert Schumann name this work as "Kreisleriana"? This question made me start to think about its enigma and complicated intention of Robert towards this work. Kreisleriana is very special for me and, maybe, for every classic music enthusiast. When I was twenty years old, I heard this work for the first time.

Every critic has said almost the same things like following;
"Schumann's Kreisleriana was based on a fictional character created by the writer E.T.A.Hoffmann, who was a musician, too. He had invented poor Johannes Kreisler as a symbol for the misunderstood musician, painting him as a kind of clown. Kreisler, some said, was Hoffmann himself, freed from the shackles of society by the 'madness' of music."

The truth may be;

The fictional Kreisler played the Goldberg Variations in the beginning part of the short novel by E.T.A.Hoffmann. But Robert Schumann actually was not familiar with the Goldberg Variations so much as we anticipated, even he was deeply interested in fuges and canons of J.S.Bach. If he had found out the healing power of that work, he would have lived a little more comfortable life without severe insomnia. Clara could have played it for him to soften his agony.

E.T.A.Hoffmann wrote;

(Johann) Gottlieb (Theophilus Goldberg) changed the candle to a new one for me, and put a bottle of wine on the piano. Then now it became impossible for me ( for Johannes Kreisler ) to play the Goldberg Variations any more.

Don't fool this work arround, Mr. E.T.A.Hoffmann!
This ridiculous treatment towards the Goldberg Variations might have affected R. Schumann not to enjoy this work. Otherwise Schumann could have been able to get a healing power, say, by his beloved Clara's performance of the Goldberg Variations.

"Schumann was obsessed by Hoffmann's creation, possibly because his own difficulties with society are legion, and he recognized that Kreisler is a clown only because people did not know how to take him seriously. Eventually the clown's underlying seriousness drives him mad."

The truth may be;

In younger days, Robert was not a man who underestimated himself. He was bright and eligible. Why had he to make himself fool like a clown towards beloved Clara? Instead he intended to be a great musician. And he seriously needed Clara's existence beside him.

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How many of you have read Hoffmann's works? I dared to read some of them. What I can say after reading them is that it is not necessary for you to read any of Hoffmann's works in order to experience Kreisleriana comprehensively.

"In April 1838 Schumann wrote to his future wife, Clara, that he had written a piece which he was going to call Kreisleriana and that she would smile when she discovered herself in it. She must indeed have smiled, for in seven of eight movements appears a theme she herself had written, a simple line of five descending steps (only No.7 is without it).

	Leipzig, April 13th, 1838 To Clara, ....... How full of music I am now, and always such lovely melodies! Only fancy, since my last letter I have finished another whole book of new things. You and one of your ideas are the principal subject, and I shall call them " Kreisleriana," and dedicate them to you ; yes, to you, and to nobody else; and you 'will smile so sweetly when you see yourself in them. ....... From Robert

Around 1830s, Kreisler was "German". Robert wrote to his acquaintance that the title conveys nothing to any but Germans.

	Viena, March 15th, 1839 To Simonin de Sire, .............. Since you inquire with such interest for my new compositions, ...... Of all these, Kreislerina is my favourite. This title conveys nothing to any but Germans. Kreisler is one of E.T.A. Hoffmann's creations, an eccentric, wild, and witty conductor. You will like some of it. The inscriptions over my pieces always occur to me after I have finished composing the music. ....... From Robert Schumann

Robert wrote about his source of inspiration.

	Leipzig, September 5th, 1839 To H. Drn, .............. Some traces of the battles I have had to fight on Clara's ( against her father ) account may perhaps be discernible in my music, and you may not fail to comprehend them. The concerto, the sonata, the Davidbündler dances, the Kreisleriana, and the Novelettes, may be said to have been almost entirely inspired by her, Clara. ....... From Robert Schumann

"Even in those days of his comparative youth, the everrecurring struggle between rationality and irrationality."

"Kreisleriana, significantly subtitled Fantasien, was written in four days, its inspiration flooding like a spring river in full spate. As so often with Schumann an elaborate literary programme thinly disguise an essentially personal touch. Writing to his beloved Clara, he said "Play my Kreisleriana often. A positively wild love is in some of the movements, and your life and mine, and the way you look."

The music's striking chromatism expresses as much as anything in rhythmic intricacy which caused Clara, a lady often inclined to confuse her husband's deepest confidences with obscurity, to complain of needless cloudiness. "

"The second intermezzo from 2 in particular is startling even today, and has been aptly characterized as 'romanticized baroque'.

"Most of the pieces are in rondo form with contrasted and related intermezzi. The concluding march in one of those spectral dances, its turning more and more frequently from a happy extroverted openness to disturbingly tormented world of his own. "

The truth should be;

Robert wanted to name this work as 'Clara, my Love' or 'I want you, Clara'. But he was in fight with her father who intended to disgrace Robert Schumann to avoid their marriage. These situations are wellknown.
So actually he could not name it like those. But of course Clara undersood the real meaning of this name. So she might have smiled.

A Fictional Dialogue

The truth should be a little deeper Secret;

Clara	'What does it mean by Kreisleriana ? Robert. You wrote that it was me and that I could find it out.'
	'Yes, my love, it is you, Chiarina. You will find your name, your passion and your beauty in it. I am very proud of it. By the way, have you ever read any of Hoffmann's novels ?'	Robert
Clara	'Well, well. You said Hoffmann ? I have heard of his name, but I don't know about him at all. My father would not allow me to read any of his works, even if he respects him somehow. Does it have anything to do with the title of your work ?'
	'Never mind about Hoffmann ! Kreisleriana is nothing else but you. I love you. While I think about you, a flaming desire captures all of me. So, I have described this feeling in this work. '	Robert
Clara	'Ah ! I have found out me in it. Thank you, Robert. What a nice gift of love. I want to play it right now. ' 'I played it and I got surprised at the beauty of it. I could not breathe enough while I was in front of the piano with this fantasy. There are many movements of heart and soul. And suddenly you emerges with mysterious atmosphere. I think I have to play it again and again. I cannot say now which part of this fantagy I love the most. To tell the truth the part which I am playing will impress me most. Then the next part surely moves me more. ' 'It is a terrifying experience for me. '
	'Play it for yourself and for me. It is for you and for us. ' 'I thought that you would love this work with a new cipher and eight new music tales. '	Robert
Clara	'Robert, I get horny when I play Kreisleriana. It is strange. I want you badly, too.'
	'Yes, it is the art of love. I can feel you as if you were beside me while I imagine that you are playing Kreisleriana.'	Robert
Clara	'Robert! Our love should be more spiritual ! I mean I'm still too young to think about it. I don't understand some parts of your work. It is like a Music of Desire.'
	'Yes, spiritual. That's right. Now we are separated and we cannot even see each other. But I want to hold you in my arms. '	Robert
Clara	'I know you. I know about you. And you should have known better of me. I love you.�@But don't fool me around. Kreisleriana might be a kind of an aphrodisiac. You should not play it in front of girls and ladies except me. I won't allow you.'
	'Wow, Klara. I understand everything. You ! Pure ! Clara ! I love you. The medicine aphrodisiac which you mentioned was named after Aphrodite. Aphrodite is the goddess of love. The Greeks called her Aphrodite. The Romans worshiped her as Venus. You will be a Venus. Then I am your Zephyrus. I will take you on a shell to Cyprus. '	Robert
Clara	'You are a Zephyrus. Ok. Then I must be a Flora, in other name, Chloris. Because Chloris or Flora is the mother of the Flowers, and she consorted with Zephyrus, the West Wind. My flowers should be music, and your winds should be compositions. But Kreisleriana is not a gentle breeze from the west. It is wild and lascivious.'
	'You will be transformed into Venus. Now Zeus, your father, will give you to Hephaestus, Vulcan in Roman mythology. So, in order to get married with you, secretly I will be transformed into a Valucan the craftsman of music using fire. Naturally Kreisleriana is hot and with flames.'	Robert