_Liederkreis_ {_Ich wandelte unter den Baeumen._
{_Mit Myrthen und Rosen._
{_Die Lotusblume._
_Myrthen_ {_Lass mich ihm am Busen hangen._
{_Du bist wie eine Blume._
{_Der Nussbaum._
_Eichendorff Liederkreis_ {_Waldesgespraech._
{_Fruehlingsnacht._
{_Wanderlust._
_Kerner Cycle_ {_Frage._
{_Stille Thraenen._
{_O, Ring an meinem Finger._
_Frauenliebe und Leben_ {_Er, der Herrlichste von Allen._
{_Ich grolle nicht._
_Dichterliebe_ {_Im wunderschoenen Mai._
{_Ich hab' im Traum geweinet._
{_Three of the songs in this_
_Liebesfruehling_ {_Cycle are attributed to_
{_Clara Schumann._
Critics seem to be agreed that Schumann's talent gradually deteriorated
as his mental disease increased. Consequently, with but few exceptions
his best song works are to be found among his early vocal compositions.
I have tried repeatedly to bring forth some of the lesser known songs of
Schumann and have time and again devoted long periods to their study,
but apparently the public, by an unmistakable indication of lack of
approval, will have none of them.
Evidently, the songs by which Schumann is now best known are his best
works from the standpoint of popular appreciation. Popular approval
taken in the aggregate is a mighty determining factor. The survival of
the fittest applies to songs as well as to other things in life. This is
particularly so in the case of the four famous songs, _Die beiden
Grenadiere_, _Widmung_, _Der Nussbaum_ and _Ich grolle nicht_, which
never seem to diminish in popularity.