Review of David Ferris, <i>Schumann’s Eichendorff</i> Liederkreis <i>and the Genre of the Romantic Cycle</i> (Oxford University Press, 2000)&#x0D;

David Ferris's book is one of several studies of Robert Schumann and his music that have recently appeared with Oxford University Press.(1) Focusing on one of the most fascinating genres in which this composer worked, and on perhaps the most beautiful of his examples of that genre (the Eichendorff Liederkreis, op.39), Ferris's book is a welcome addition to Oxford's "Schumann series."It is refreshing to read a study of the Romantic song cycle whose primary focus is not Dichterliebe (which is by far the most frequently analysed Romantic song cycle).Numerous earlier writers have argued that Dichterliebe is an organically unified cycle, and have used their analyses of this cycle as the basis for a model of unity and coherence, which, they imply, is applicable to the Romantic song cycle in general.Ferris has deliberately chosen to emphasize a cycle to which such a model cannot easily be applied (although previous writers have, in accordance with established views of what constitutes a cycle, sought to explain even op.39 as "an integrated musical whole that is unified by a web of motivic relationships and a symmetrical arrangement of keys" [page 4]).Ferris attempts instead to approach the work without preconceptions about unity and coherence, and in a manner consistent with the aesthetics of the period in which it originated.The result is an interpretation of op.39-and of the Romantic cycle in general-that diverges significantly from those of earlier writers.Instead of asking, "How is Schumann's op.39 unified?," Ferris addresses the following questions: (1) What is the Romantic view of unity and coherence in the song cycle?(2) How does this view compare with current conceptions of unity and coherence in the cycle?(3) How could the latter conceptions be complemented and modified by taking into consideration the Romantic view?In his effort to answer these questions, Ferris consults a wide variety of sources: nineteenth-century writings on aesthetics and philosophy; nineteenth-century music journal articles (including Schumann's own writings); the 20 th -century theoretical and musicological literature on Schumann's song cycles and the song cycle in general; Schumann's autographs; and, of course, the text and music of Schumann's op.39.[2] In his first chapter, Ferris establishes a context for his investigation by describing three trends in recent research on the Romantic song cycle.The adherents of one trend, including Arthur Komar, David Neumeyer, and Patrick McCreless, consider cycles in theoretical terms, and attempt to discover unity and coherence within them.(2) A second trend, originating in part as a reaction against the first, involves the investigation of the historical context of, and contemporary perspectives on the Romantic cycle.(3) Whereas Ferris finds this endeavor laudable, he notes that it has not resulted in any significant change in current conceptions of the song cycle, partly because the scholars in this group have brought to their investigations a preconception similar to that held by the first group-the belief that true cycles involve some kind of musical coherence, particularly tonal coherence.The third trend, which more closely approaches Ferris's viewpoint, is that represented by recent writings of John Daverio and Charles Rosen.(4) Both of these authors begin to consider Romantic cycles in connection with aesthetic and philosophical trends of the early nineteenth century, in particular, the ideas of the brothers Wilhelm and August

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