Composer: Robert Schumann(1810.6.8 - 1856.7.

29)was a German
composer and influential music critic. Until 1840, Schumann wrote
exclusively for the piano. Later, he composed piano and orchestral
works, and many Lieder. At the same year, he married his teacher’s
daughter Clara Wieck.

Poet: The lyric is by Friedrich Rückert, who was a German poet,

translator, and professor of Oriental languages.

Background: Widmung Written by Robert Schumann in 1840 (this

piece was from a set of Lieder called Myrthen), Myrthen was cre-
ated to Clara Wieck as a wedding gift, as Schumann finally married
Clara in September, despite the opposition from Clara’s father who
was also Schumann’s piano teacher. So Widmung contains probably
the most passionate music writing and most heartfelt feelings.

Analysis: From the very beginning, the first text (“Du Meine Seele,
du mein Herz”) already shows Schumann’s love for Clara and devo-
tion to the relationship. Here, Schumann sincerely confesses to
Clara, he shows how important she is to him. For him, Clara is his
angel, his spiritual support, and his entire world. Nevertheless, there
is kind of still a sense of fear and insecurity in the music, due to sep-
aration and uncertainty about their future. This complex mixture of
feelings, certainly strengthens the emotional power of the music.

Singing Thoughts: The song is an A B A form, I think it tends to

yield slightly in tempo in the B part, so it’s really important not to
start too slowly. Schumann writes an exciting, energized line for the
piano to start and end the piece, but I think for singers: this is not
our cue to abandon the long, beautiful line Schumann wrote for us.
We can think of the piano’s rushing line as the excitement and pas-
sion of love boiling within us.
You my soul, you my heart,
You my rapture, O you my pain,
You my world in which I live,
My heaven you, to which I aspire,
O you my grave, into which
My grief forever I’ve consigned!
You are repose, you are peace,
You are bestowed on me from heaven.
Your love for me gives me my worth,
Your eyes transfigure me in mine,
You raise me lovingly above myself,
My guardian angel, my better self!

Du meine Seele, du mein Herz,

Du meine Wonn’, o du mein Schmerz,
Du meine Welt, in der ich lebe,
Mein Himmel du, darein ich schwebe,
O du mein Grab, in das hinab
Ich ewig meinen Kummer gab!
Du bist die Ruh, du bist der Frieden,
Du bist vom Himmel mir beschieden.
Dass du mich liebst, macht mich mir wert,
Dein Blick hat mich vor mir verklärt,
Du hebst mich liebend über mich,
Mein guter Geist, mein bess’res Ich!