quarter, again reminding the upbeat half note of the ostinato theme in the fourth movement of Symphonie Fantastique). The theme is recapitulated in heroic fashion before collapsing into nothingness. The omissions of chords and the subsequent 'melodic holes' in the last four bars foreshadow 20th century techniques. Nachtstück 2 Curious gathering F Major Kuriose Versammlung – (Markiert und lebhaft "Marked and lively") abounds with frequent digressions. The constant mood shifts—from frolicsome derisiveness to clownish, coquettish mirth—result in a lack of cohesiveness. The programmatic title indicates that this effect was probably intended by Schumann. The mechanical quality of the middle part suggests an ‘automaton'. (The mechanism winds down at the ritardando, B♭. 93–94). The idea of an artificial ‘person’ haunted Romantic imagination and 'automatons' appear frequently in writers such as E.T.A. Hoffmann or Edgar Allan Poe (1809–49). Carl Reinecke included ‘Godfather Drosselmeyer’s Automatons’ from Hoffmann's fairy tale The Nutcracker and the Mouse King in his piano four-hand setting of the tale. Hoffmann's narration Der Sandmann from Nachtstücke introduces the famous Olimpia automaton. Nathanael, who is the main character in this narration, falls in love with Olimpia, forgetting his true love, Clara. Nachtstück 3 Night binge D♭ Major Nächtliches Gelage – (Mit großer Lebhaftigkeit "With great vivacity") maybe described as a ‘nocturnal Faschingsschwank’ or 'noctural "Carnival Scene"' and there are unmistakable similarities between these two pieces written at Vienna. But the passion is less healthy in the Nachtstücke. An intoxicated yearning explodes in impulsive outbursts of energy followed by ecstatic reveling. These indulgences are interrupted by two 'intermezzos', the first one a sinister murmuring of repressed agitation, the second one a ghostly 'Wilde Jagd' (Wild Hunt). Apparently unrelated fragments, these episodes do have a close motivic relationship: The first ‘intermezzo’ is fashioned from the closing section of the main theme and the second ‘intermezzo’ imitates the climax of the main theme's A♭ major section. Nachtstück 4 Roundelay with solo voices F Major Schumann is often criticized for using structure merely as a framework on which to spread the themes. The resultant ‘incoherency’ is often attributed to the composer's declining mental health. The fact though remains that Schumann's predilection for allusions has rendered many relationships too subtle for the (non artistic) analyst's senses. Rundgesang mit Solostimmen – (Ad libitum. Einfach "Freely. Simple"), for example, certainly remembers the march rhythm of the Funeral Procession but has been changed to a simple folk melody, lute-like