Modulating Couplets in Fanny Hensel’s Songs

Abstract This chapter examines Fanny Hensel’s responses to the flow of syntax, thought, and feeling across poetic couplets. Poetic analysis identifies instances of syntactic independence and dependence between couplets, as well as logical relations of interpretation, opposition, and continuation. Hensel’s settings are shown to respond with precisely calibrated tonal shifts, cadences, sequences, harmonic changes, declamatory rhythms, and textures. Comparisons of settings by Hensel and Robert Schumann highlight distinctive aspects of Hensel’s compositional practice. The chapter considers couplet settings first in song beginnings, and then in song continuations with particular song forms (strophic, varied strophic, and ternary) in mind. The chapter builds on prior work by Stephen Rodgers and R. Larry Todd, which draws attention to the tonal fluidity of Hensel’s music. Implications for performance and music-text relations are considered as well.