Manfred (Schumann)
Encyclopedia
Manfred: Dramatic Poem with Music in Three Parts (Opus 115) [German: Manfred. Dramatisches Gedicht in drei Abtheitungen], is a work of incidental music
by Robert Schumann
. The work is based on the poem Manfred
by Lord Byron and consists of an overture
, an entracte, melodrama
s, and several solo
s and chorus
es.
Written primarily in 1848, it was first performed at the Gewandhaus concert at Leipzig
on March 14, 1852. The most highly-regarded piece in the work is the Manfred Overture. Composer Hugo Wolf
wrote that the work "has brought the essence, the focal point of the drama to plastic expression with the simplest strokes." Music historian Peter Ostwald wrote that the Overture was written during a time when Schumann was facing "exquisite suffering" from "inner voices," or auditory hallucination
s.
Incidental music
Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, film or some other form not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as the "film score" or "soundtrack"....
by Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
. The work is based on the poem Manfred
Manfred
Manfred is a dramatic poem written in 1816–1817 by Lord Byron. It contains supernatural elements, in keeping with the popularity of the ghost story in England at the time. It is a typical example of a Romantic closet drama...
by Lord Byron and consists of an overture
Overture
Overture in music is the term originally applied to the instrumental introduction to an opera...
, an entracte, melodrama
Melodrama
The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. It may also refer to the genre which includes such works, or to language, behavior, or events which resemble them...
s, and several solo
Solo
-Games:* Dance Dance Revolution Solo, a sub-series of Dance Dance Revolution by Konami-Literature:* Solo , a comic book series* Solo , a Swedish magazine* Solo , a comic book character...
s and chorus
Chorus
-Musical:* Choir, a vocal ensemble* Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound; signal processors design to simulate the effect* Refrain or chorus of a song, pre-chorus may refer to bridge...
es.
Written primarily in 1848, it was first performed at the Gewandhaus concert at Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
on March 14, 1852. The most highly-regarded piece in the work is the Manfred Overture. Composer Hugo Wolf
Hugo Wolf
Hugo Wolf was an Austrian composer of Slovene origin, particularly noted for his art songs, or lieder. He brought to this form a concentrated expressive intensity which was unique in late Romantic music, somewhat related to that of the Second Viennese School in concision but utterly unrelated in...
wrote that the work "has brought the essence, the focal point of the drama to plastic expression with the simplest strokes." Music historian Peter Ostwald wrote that the Overture was written during a time when Schumann was facing "exquisite suffering" from "inner voices," or auditory hallucination
Auditory hallucination
An auditory hallucination, or paracusia, is a form of hallucination that involves perceiving sounds without auditory stimulus. A common form involves hearing one or more talking voices...
s.
External links
- Manfred, Op.115 (Schumann, Robert) via IMSLP