Morfologia narracji świadomości w romantycznej muzyce instrumentalnej
Studia Chopinowski March 27, 2026 James Parakilas
Romantic-era instrumental music uniquely depicts shifts in consciousness without relying on text. This article proposes a four-stage narrative model composers used: suggesting a conscious subject, marking a transition from ordinary awareness to an altered state (dream, fantasy, trance), portraying that new state, and returning to ordinary awareness with possible remnants. The model reveals common narrative elements across composers from Berlioz (explicit programs) to Chopin (no program) and Schumann or Tchaikovsky (varying program disclosure). Analysis focuses on Schumann's Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 63 and Chopin's Polonaise-Fantaisie, Op. 61, showing how shared musical devices produce diverse visions of human consciousness.