When and where was Robert Schumann born?
Robert Schumann was born on the 8th of June 1810 in Zwickau, in the Kingdom of Saxony. He was the fifth and last child of August Schumann, a bookseller, lexicographer and publisher.
Questions about Robert Schumann
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Why did Robert Schumann give up his career as a pianist?
Schumann developed a growing paralysis in at least one finger of his right hand, with early symptoms appearing while he was still a student at Heidelberg. He tried allopathy, homeopathy and electric therapy without success, and by 1832 accepted that a career as a virtuoso pianist was impossible.
Who were Florestan and Eusebius in Robert Schumann's music?
Florestan and Eusebius were the names Schumann gave to two contrasting aspects of his own personality. Florestan represented his impetuous, dynamic self, while Eusebius represented his introspective and poetic side. He embedded both alter egos throughout his piano music and journalism.
What was Robert Schumann's Liederjahr and when did it occur?
Schumann's Liederjahr, meaning year of song, took place in 1840. During that single year he produced more than half his total output of songs, including Dichterliebe, Frauenliebe und Leben, two Liederkreis cycles and Myrthen, a wedding present for Clara.
How did Robert Schumann die and what was his cause of death?
Schumann died on the 29th of July 1856 at a private sanatorium at Endenich, near Bonn, aged 46. The recorded cause of death was pneumonia. He had been confined there since March 1854 after attempting to drown himself in the Rhine.
What influence did Robert Schumann have on later composers?
Schumann influenced composers across Europe and Russia, including Brahms, Mahler, Richard Strauss, Schoenberg, Bizet, Fauré, Debussy, Ravel, Grieg, Elgar and Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky called him "the most striking exponent of the music of our time", and Elgar named Schumann "my ideal".