12 - Discontinuity in Winterreise

Summary

This essay explores the distinction between “continuity” and “discontinuity” in the poetry and music of Winterreise. In a continuous poetic cycle, the poems progress in a logical, recognizable process where we know where we begin and end, and everything in between relates to the whole. Musical continuity likewise involves a clear sense of motion forward and reaching a goal – such as beginning and ending in the same key, or tonal coherence. In a discontinuous poetic or musical cycle, on the other hand, there is no clear motion forward from beginning to end, no clear end point, and a lack of cohesion or interconnectedness (recurring elements) over the whole. But the distinction is not altogether clear. Within a continuous cycle, interruptions do occur, and within a discontinuous cycle, elements of continuity occur as well. Ultimately, a cycle is experienced primarily one way or the other based on a number of factors, including the presence of repeated elements (continuous) or lack of repeated elements (discontinuous).