Schumann Op.68 No. 28 Remembrance

[quaver]

Here I am again needing guidance and help with chord progressions.  I am trying to teach myself and so far seem to be handling it quite well.  Measure 8  with B# in the bass has me puzzled or could this be a chromatic step up to C#.  Also measures 20 and 21 pose a challenge.  I do not know what chords belong at these two measures.  So many accidentals floating around.  Your help would be much appreciated

[quaver]

I have had no replies to my questions but if someone would so kind as to confirm that I have measure 11 correct.  I have Tonic chord with flattened 3rd, followed by V7 of V.  (assuming I am still in the key of E major which I established in measure 6).  Please help and thankyou.

[ramseytheii]

You posted this in the wrong board!  There's a music theory board under STudent's Corner.

The B# is Schumann's way of modulating to E major.  Remember that c# minor is the relative minor of E major, so by suggesting that key, he is using that to enter into E major.  In some ways, and I think this is  good representation, major keys and their relative minors were indistinguishable in theory to Romantic composers.

By bar 11, I would stop thinking of the music as being in E major.  He is clearly shifting out of it, even if he does touch on it a couple bars later.  These bars are shifting tonality...

Bar 20 comes to rest on a diminished seventh chord (under the second fermata) that would lead into f# minor, which of course is the relative minor of A major.  Again, he is using free interplay of the major keys and their relative minors.  That's how those bars should be understood, in my opinion.

Walter Ramsey

[quaver]

Thankyou Ramsey for your reply.  Yes, you're right, I should read the forum headings more closely.  However I did ask the Students corner the same question but did not put it in the Theory Board.  I think your analysis though gives me more thought on recognizing chords and progressions.I forget about the major and relative minors that could be used.  I need to step out of the 'box' and not get stuck on the key and its dominant. The more pieces I analyze I will I am sure get better.  Thanks again for helping me recognize the chord progressions and from where, and where to, do they lead.
Cheers.