The archetypal myth of lost paradise, found in both civilized and primitive cultures throughout history, was central to Enlightenment and Romantic thought, influencing philosophical, literary, artistic and musical works. This 2008 book explores manifestations of the lost paradise myth in Lieder by Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms, Hugo Wolf and other nineteenth-century composers, with emphasis on works conveying nostalgia for classical antiquity, childhood, and folk song. Through a series of autonomous yet interrelated studies, Marjorie Hirsch examines the myth's influence on the origins and development of the Romantic Lied. The book thus takes a thematic approach to the study of Romantic Lieder, with introductory sections supplying historical context for analyses of individual songs or small groups of songs expressing nostalgia for lost paradise in various guises.
• Organised thematically, providing a broad approach to the subject • Includes informative introductions to each section, which supply essential historical context for understanding the analytical discussions of individual songs • Includes many illustrative music examples
Contents
Introduction: seeking lost paradise; Part I. The Lost World of Antiquity: 1. Schubert's Greek revival; 2. Goethe, Wolf, and the lure of immortality; Part II. The Lost World of Childhood: 3. Sleep and death in Schubert's lullabies; 4. Brahms's spiral journey back home; Part III. The Lost World of Folk Song: 5. Schubert's songs-within-songs; 6. On wings of song from Reichardt to Mahler.
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