Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The year 1840 proved a momentous one for Robert Schumann: after an interval of twelve years, he resumed writing songs, producing some 150 vocal compositions within the year; and in September, after a long and stormy courtship, he married his beloved Clara Wieck. During this period, Schumann's biographers represent him as being "caught in a tempest of song," transfiguring the emotions aroused by his love for Clara into a splendid outpouring of sublime music for voice and piano.
Much of that music is reproduced in this collection -- comprising over 100 of Schumann's greatest lieder. Selections include:
Liederkreis (Heine), Op. 24
Liederkreis (Eichendorff), Op. 39
Myrthen, Op. 25
Zw#65533;lf Gedichte von Justinus Kerner, Op. 35
Sechs Gedichte von Reinick, Op. 36
Frauenliebe und Leben, Op. 42
Dichterliebe, Op. 48
Individual Songs (17)
In his work, Schumann embodied a tradition of German musical romanticism, emphasizing self-expression, lyricism, and extra-musical (e.g., literary) association. Thus we find here songs

set to the poetry of Heine, Goethe, Burns, Byron, Moore, J. von Eichendorff, Adelbert von Chamisso, Emanuel Geibel, and others. Those who would know Schumann's work most intimately will be especially interested in Myrthen, a 26-song cycle (liederkreis) dedicated "to his beloved bride." Of these songs Schumann remarked, "… the Myrthen certainly allow a deeper insight into my inner musical workings." Of the songs in general, Grove's Dictionary offers this comment: "… the songs are not only piano pieces with another dimension, an additional tone-col∨ they are explicit, whereas the piano pieces are reserved. The lyrical element is set free and its emotional content made precise."
Complementing the music, this volume contains alphabetical listings of song titles, song openings and poets, and a glossary of German musical terms. New translations of the song texts have been specially prepared for this edition. The music has been reproduced directly from the authoritative Breitkopf and H#65533;rtel edition of 1882-87, edited by Clara Schumann.
As a composer of art songs, Schumann ranks among the greatest masters; this inexpensive collection makes the songs widely available to students, singers, musicians -- any admirer of romanticism made manifest in exquisite matchings of words and music.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Alphabetical List Of Poets
• Alphabetical List Of Song Openings
• Alphabetical List Of Song Titles
• Glossary Of German Terms Occurring On The Music Pages
• "Liederkreis [Heine], Op. 24"
• 1 Morgens steh' ich auf
• 2 Es treibt mich hin
• 3 Ich wandelte unter den Bäumen
• 4 Lieb' Liebchen
• 5 Schöne Wiege meiner Leiden
• 6 "Warte, warte, wilder Schiffsmann"
• 7 Berg' und Burgen schau'n herunter
• 8 Anfangs wollt' ich fast verzagen
• 9 Mit Myrthen und Rosen
• "MYRTHEN, OP. 25"
• 1 Widmung
• 2 Freisinn
• 3 Der Nussbaum
• 4 Jemand
• 5 Sitz' ich allein
• 6 Setze mir nicht
• 7 Die Lotosblume
• 8 Talismane
• 9 Lied der Suleika
• 10 Die Hochländer-Wittwe
• 11 "Mutter, Mutter!"
• 12 Lass mich ihm am Busen hangen
• 13 Hochländers Abschied
• 14 Hochländisches Wiegenlied
• 15 Aus den hebräischen Gesängen
• 16 Räthsel
• 17 Leis' rudern hier
• 18 Wenn durch die Piazzetta
• 19 Hauptmann's Weib
• 20 "Weit, weit"
• 21 Was will die einsame Thräne?
• 22 Niemand
• 23 Im Westen
• 24 Due bist wie eine Blume
• 25 Aus den östlichen Rosen
• 26 Zum Schluss
• "Zwölf Gedichte Von Justinus Kerner, Op. 35"
• 1 Lust der Sturmnacht
• 2 "Stirb, Lieb' und Freud'!"
• 3 Wanderlust
• 4 Erstes Grün
• 5 Sehnsucht nach der Waldgegend
• 6 Auf das Trinkglas eines verstorbenen Freundes
• 7 Wanderung
• 8 Stille Liebe
• 9 Frage
• 10 Stille Thränen
• 11 Wer machte dich so krank?
• 12 Alte Laute
• "Sechs Gedichte Von Reinick, Op. 36"
• 1 Sonntags am Rhein
• 2 Ständchen
• 3 Nichts Schöneres
• 4 An den Sonnenschein
• 5 Dichters Genesung
• 6 Liebesbotschaft
• "Liederkreis [Eichendorff], Op. 39"
• 1 In der Fremde
• 2 Intermezzo
• 3 Waldesgespräch
• 4 Die Stille
• 5 Mondnacht
• 6 Schöne Fremde
• 7 Auf einer Burg
• 8 In der Fremde
• 9 Wehmuth
• 10 Zwielicht
• 11 Im Walde
• 12 Frühlingsnacht
• "Frauenliebe Und Leben, Op. 42"
• 1 Seit ich ihn gesehen
• 2 "Er, der Herrlichste von Allen"
• 3 Ich kann's nicht fassen
• 4 Du Ring an meinem Finger
• 5 "Helft mir, ihr Schwestern "
• 6 "Süsser Freund, du blickest"
• 7 An meinem Herzen
• 8 Nun hast du mir den ersten Schmerz gethan
• "Dichterliebe, Op. 48"
• 1 Im wunderschönen Monat Mai
• 2 Aus meinen Thränen spriessen
• 3 "Die rose, die Lilie"
• 4 Wenn ich in deine Augen seh'
• 5 Ich will meine Seele tauchen
• 6 "Im Rhein, im heiligen Strome"
• 7 Ich grolle nicht
• 8 Und wüssten's die Blumen
• 9 Das ist ein Flöten und Geigen
• 10 Hör' ich das Liedchen klingen
• 11 Ein Jüngling liebt ein Mädchen
• 12 Am leuchtenden Sommermorgen
• 13 Ich hab' im Traum geweinet
• 14 Allnächtilch im Traume
• 15 Aus alten Märchen winkt es
• 16 "Die alten, bösen Lieder"
• Individual Songs
• "Der Hidalgo (No. 3 of Drei Gedichte von Emanuel Geibel, Op. 30)"
• "Die Löwenbraut (No. 1 of Drei Gesänge, Op. 31)"
• "Die beiden Grenadiere (No. 1 of Romanzen und Balladen, Vol. II, Op. 49)"
• "Volksliedchen (No. 2 of Lieder und Gesänge, Vol. II, Op. 51)"
• "Blondel's Lied (No. 1 of Romanzen und Balladen, Vol. III, Op. 53)"
• "Der arme Peter (No. 3 of Romanzen und Balladen, Vol. III, Op. 53)"
• "Die Soldatenbraut (No. 1 of Romanzen und Balladen, Vol. IV, Op. 64)"
• "Das verlasssne Mägdelein (No. 2 of Romanzen und Balladen, Vol. IV, Op. 64)"
• "Geständniss (No. 7 of Spanisches Liederspiel, Op. 74)"
• "Der Contrabandiste (Supplement to Spanisches Liederspiel, Op. 74)"
• "Aufträge (No. 5 of Lieder und Gesänge, Vol. III, Op. 77)"
• "Zigeunerliedchen (No. 7 of Lieder-Album für die Jugend, Op. 79)"
• "Marienwürmchen (No. 13 of Lieder-Album füur die Jugend, Op. 79)"
• "Der Einsiedler (No. 3 of Drei Gesänge, Op. 83)"
• "Kennst du das Land? (No. 1 of Lieder und Gesänge aus Goethes Wilheim Meister, OP. 98a)"
• "Sängers Trost (No. 1 of Fünf Lieder und Gesänge, Op. 127)"
• "Mein Wagen rollet langsam (No. 4 of Vier Gesänge, Op. 142)"
• Translations

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Born in Zwickau, Germany, Robert Schumann hoped early in his career to become a piano virtuoso. That dream was shattered in 1832, however, when he sustained permanent injury to his right hand while using a finger-strengthening device that he had invented. Thereafter, he devoted his energies to composition. His first compositions, the Toccata, Paganini studies, and Intermezzi, were published in 1833. A year later, he founded and edited Neue Leipzige Zeitschrift fur Musik, a music magazine that became influential in its support of romanticism. Schumann's attachment to Clara Wieck (the future Clara Schumann), the daughter of his piano teacher, was frowned upon by her disapproving father, who considered Schumann unsuitable. Despite this opposition, the two were married in 1849. The Schumanns made several concert tours together, with Clara performing the premieres of many of Robert's works. Schumann is especially noted for his cycles of piano music, particularly Papillons (1829-31), Carnaval (1834-35), and Phantasiestucke (1837). His works are marked by imaginative power, with beautiful melodies and harmonies, and they embody the romantic spirit that prevailed at the time. During the latter part of his life, Schumann worked as an orchestral conductor in Dresden and Dusseldorf. In 1854 his health began to decline and he was plagued by symptoms of mental illness that had recurred throughout his life. That same year, fearing for his sanity, he threw himself into the Rhine river. He was rescued by fishermen and taken to an asylum, where he died two years later. (Bowker Author Biography)