In this thesis, I analyze the first, second, and final songs of Clara Schumann's Six Lieder, Opus 13. In each one, special attention is paid to two aspects of Clara's composition. First, I use my research on Clara and Robert's correspondence to attempt to demonstrate ways in which she may have drawn from events during their courtship as inspiration for her compositional choices and techniques in these songs. Second, I interpret a motive that spans the set, the notes of which could be a cipher representative of her and Robert, to construct a narrative across the cycle informed by her and Robert's relationship. My analysis expands in part on questions David Lewin has raised about the first song, "Ich stand in dunkeln Träumen." I hope that these analyses can shed more light on Clara's first set of lieder published independently from Robert's. Further research could be done to see if there are clear similarities between the third, fourth, and fifth songs of this cycle and significant events in Clara and Robert's courtship.

Norwegian nationalist composer Edvard Grieg composed one hundred and eighty songs, including songs in Norwegian, Bokmal, German, and Danish. The Sechs Lieder, Op. 48 was written in German texts, which Grieg successfully merged the style of High Romantic Lieder with his Norwegian cultural background. This lecture-recital document contains the following four main sections: Grieg¡¦s biographical information, the musical characteristics of Grieg¡¦s art songs, the background of his composing the Sechs Lieder, Op. 48, and a performance analysis of the Sechs Lieder, Op. 48. The work captures the essence of German Lieder with its text painting and expressive piano accompaniment, and has earned a well-deserved place in the German Lieder repertoire, despite the fact that Grieg does not have German nationality.

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