Ambiguity in Richard Dehmel’s Poem "Erwartung” and Its Influence on the Interpretation of Arnold Schoenberg’s Vier Lieder, op 2

Abstract

The language in Richard Dehmel’s (1863-1920) poetry and Arnold Schoenberg’s (1874-1951) complex chromaticism in his song cycle Vier Lieder, op 2 goes beyond the mere description of the scenic setting in "Erwartung (expectation)", the first poem of the song cycle. The ambiguity of Dehmel’s colour associations allows interpreting artists to develop their points of view. This research performance demonstrates the subtle differences in performance outcomes based on the interpretation of the colour value “bleich (pale)” as optimistic (Frisch, 1993, p. 94) and as a colour of grief.