Abstract:
The purpose of this study is to discuss Schumann’s fictional characters from Carnaval, op.9 and how Schumann expressed the unique aspects of each character in his music. I will apply
Schenkerian analysis to explore the various structural layers of the music of these fictional
characters and Schumann’s friends: Pierrot, Arlequin, Eusebius, Florestan, Coquette, Pantalon et
Colombine, Chiarina, Estrella, Chopin and Paganini. Through my Schenkerian graphs, I hope to
show that each piece coheres within itself, that pieces share middle-ground structures, that motifs
come back at different levels, and that the musical structure contributes to the characterization, as
well as the surface textures.