Table of Contents

"Seldom Satisfied, But Always Delighted": Jean Paul and His Novels
Digressive Dances: Schumann's Early Cycles
Carnaval: Redefining Convention, Transcending Boundaries
Higher and Lower Forms
Schumann's and Jean Paul's Idyllic Vision

Reviews

Rich and elegant work . . . this book's fascinating discussion and analysis of Schumann's early piano cycles is not to be missed. Highly recommended.
*CHOICE*

Erika Reiman presents a systematic account of the structural, stylistic, and generic parallels between Schumann's keyboard music of the 1830s and Jean Paul's fictional works, which Schumann first read as a teenager and turned to repeatedly for inspiration throughout the course of his creative life. The most significant connections between composer and novelist are almost certainly to be found at the deeper, structural level, and now, for the first time, we have a thorough exploration of these connections.
*John Daverio, Professor of Music, Boston University*

An impressive study.
*NOTES, March 2005*

Reiman's topic is fascinating, and she has carried out an enormous amount of investigative and musical-interpretive work. . . . The book is a creative addition to Schumann scholarship focusing on music-literature relationships.
*NINETEENTH-CENTURY MUSIC REVIEW*

The most thorough and comprehensive treatment of Jean-Paul's writings anywhere in the Schumann literature. . . . [Reiman's] underlying argument -- that Schumann's music often takes on the quality of a narrative -- is intuitively appealing. . . [and] may hold the key.
*MUSIC AND LETTERS [David Ferris]*

With more than 100 musical examples, all the passages that are discussed can be directly examined. The analyses that are undertaken are compelling and persuasive.
*DIE MUSIKFORSCHUNG*