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Balance And Motivic Unity In The Finale Of Robert Schumann's Piano Sonata, Op. 11, Robert B. Carlson

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Robert Schumann’s first piano sonata, op. 11, is of great importance within his compositional output, but it is faced with undue neglect in performance and in-depth analytical study. Though he has been criticized for his inability to handle large forms, this sonata exemplifies a thorough sense of design, unity, and intricacy in his writing. There exists a considerable dearth of analysis that focuses specifically on the voice-leading structure of this sonata. Such an approach would shed light on the way Schumann engages with larger structures.

The first three movements of this work set a precedent of organic self-awareness in the …