The relationship between music and literature in the example of the lied form in the German romanticism

The scope of this study is the relationship between German Romanticism and the music and literature of this era. Music and literature, which have been intertwined since ancient times, became more deeply interconnected during the Romantic era. The freedom that Romanticism brought into music paved the way for artists to reflect their inner worlds in their works. Literature became both a focus of interest and a source of inspiration for some composers. This interest in literature led composers to incorporate these literary works into their own compositions, resulting in the emergence of an important genre of the Romantic Period. Some composers depicted the characters from these written works through music, while others reflected their emotional essence. In this study, a descriptive method was followed where both historical and theoretical data were collected and compiled from the perspectives of literary studies and musicology. In doing so, not only was the Romantic Period itself explained, but the path leading to it was also enlightened, thereby clarifying the distinctive features that define the Romantic Period. After this groundwork, the analysis section was approached from two perspectives: The literary perspective and the musical perspective. The metrical characteristics of the lyrical texts adapted into music were identified, and the findings obtained from this were compared in the musicological analysis, allowing for the observation of the permeability between literature and music. These observations were then evaluated in the conclusion. Additionally, theoretical information was provided where necessary during the analysis. As a result of the study, it was concluded that the relationship between music and literature during the Romantic Period was shaped especially through the contributions of composers such as Schubert and Schumann. Schubert took a close interest in literature, began composing adaptations at an early age, focused on Goethe, and brought revolutionized the lied genre. Schumann followed his footsteps, composing adaptations predominantly based on works by Heine. Although the two composers differed in their choice of texts, piano technique, and stylistic approach; both made revolutionary contributions to the lied genre.