Tonal Relationships: Transposition

The tonal organization of Schumann’s exquisitely beautiful song cycle, Dichterliebe, op. 48, is unique and quite special. Each of the 16 songs is in a different key, but never are two unrelated keys juxtaposed. The accompanying chart [1st column] indicates the succession of keys, starting in F sharp minor [1] and ending up in the closely related key of C sharp minor [16]. As the chart shows, this is not accomplished by any direct means, but rather, by an excursion first into keys with fewer sharps, followed by the two keys with no sharps or flats, on to keys with increasing numbers of flats, a jump from B flat major to its minor subdominant key of E flat minor [the only non-diatonic relationship in the cycle], on to C flat major - but written enharmonically as B major, and finally to both keys with signatures of 4 sharps.

Why does the title of this post refer to ‘transposition?’ Surely, we know that there exist editions of the lieder and chanson repertoire that are transposed, either up or down, from the original key. The reason for this is obvious: most vocalists have a specific range in which they sing comfortably, and much of the repertoire, in its original keys, does not always coincide with that range.

Two serious issues emerge: 1] is it of no concern to anyone that the altered keys possess entirely different characters than the originals? and 2] should pianists be expected to learn this repertoire in whatever key someone desires?

First things first. Vocal music is conceived by the composer in a specific tonality, the same as instrumental music. Schumann wrote his 2nd Symphony in C major - the same key as ‘Ich grolle nicht’ [no. 7]. His Piano Quintet is in E flat major - the same key as ‘Ein Jüngling liebt ein Mädchen’ [no. 11]. And the Violoncello Concerto is in A minor - the same key as ‘Und wüssten’s die Blumen’ [no. 8]. It is obvious that each key had a certain meaning to Schumann and to each of the master composers. With only rare exception, we don’t see transpositions of any of their instrumental music, so why the double standard? We don’t see transpositions of choral music either - imagine the ‘Dies Irae’ of the Verdi Requiem in E minor or the ‘Cum Sancto Spiritu’ of Bach's B minor Mass in E flat major? And we certainly don’t see transpositions of Mozart’s ‘Exultate, Jubilate’ down to D major for mezzo soprano, or worse yet, the operas.

As to the pianistic question: anyone who is a collaborative pianist knows that much of the lieder/chanson repertoire is as demanding technically as is chamber and solo piano music. Thus, for the same reasons that we wouldn’t suddenly decide to play Beethoven Sonatas or Chopin Ballades in the keys of our choice, we should not be called upon to participate in a distortion of the composer’s original intentions in vocal music, complete with potentially impossible technical challenges.

There is a much more troubling issue. In certain editions of Dichterliebe, for example, the ‘low’ key, there is a terrible distortion of the internal tonal architecture of the work. Referring once again to the chart, the center column indicates the interval down from the original key in which the transposed version appears. One would think that if a masterwork is to be transposed, at least the relative tonal structure should remain intact. Not in this case. Several of the resulting key relationships in certain editions are disturbing: D major moves to G minor [quite clumsily, in fact], B flat major is followed by F sharp minor, and C major goes to A major as well as the reverse. Also note that ‘Am leuchtenden Sommermorgen’ [no. 12] is only a minor 2nd lower than the original. Why bother? Schumann would probably be infuriated by all of this tampering, and would undoubtedly disapprove of the muddiness that some of the songs acquire in the lower register of the piano.

The most unfortunate aspect of all this is that the distortion of the tonal progression of Dichterliebe goes unnoticed by those who use faulty editions. I remember submitting a proposal to a ‘music theory society’ on the tonal organization of Dichterliebe, to be delivered at an all-Schubert/Schumann convention at which Dichterliebe was to be performed by a baritone. I was rejected because ‘the board decided that too many people applied from far away places’. I discovered later on - from the pianist who performed it - that my topic would have revealed that their performance was in fact a distortion and that my presentation would expose it. Well, doesn’t every fraud deserve a coverup?

My message here is not to attempt to put a stop to the practice of random transposition, but simply to encourage those who engage in this practice to know what they are doing. I shall never listen to Dichterliebe in any key other than the original, any more than I would listen to Brahms 4th Symphony in B flat minor.