CHAPTER 2 SCENE 1: IM GARTEN The opening scene in Part I, from Scenen aus Goethes Faust depicts a courtship between Dr. Faust and Gretchen (the diminutive of Margarete). Schumann sets the text as a dialogue between Faust and Gretchen in which they declare their eternal love for each other. This scene is important to the drama as Gretchen's relationship with Faust is the catalyst leading to the eventual downward spiral of Gretchen into madness in the powerfully dramatic Scene 3. An important compositional feature in Scenen aus Goethes Faust is Schumann's treatment of the orchestra. The role of the orchestra in Scene 1 is more than mere accompaniment; it enhances the atmosphere of the scene and often depicts the emotional and psychological states of the characters. The waltzing accompaniment in 12/8 time (felt in 4) in the orchestra and the sweeping melodic phrases in the strings creates a romantic dream-like atmosphere. The waltzing accompaniment in the orchestra sounds as if one could mistake it for a romantic scene in an operetta of Johann Strauss or Franz Lehar. Another significant characteristic in Scenen aus Goethes Faust is Schumann's idiomatic writing for the voice. The operas of Bellini, Donizetti and Meyerbeer were popular with the 19th century public as they were often vehicles for star singers and featured theatrical spectacles that pandered to the audiences' taste. Schumann disliked the Italian operatic opulence that permeated bel canto operas. Prime examples of this style of dramatic music are heard in Bellini's opera Norma (1831) in the aria "Casta Diva" and in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor (1835) in Lucia's "Mad Scene". Schumann avoids setting melodies in the typical bel canto style of Italian opera heard in many vocal lines of solo arias featuring ornamentation and extended cadenzas.
