Robert Schumann
On the 8th of June 1810, a local newspaper in Zwickau announced the birth of Robert Schumann to Herr August Schumann. He was the fifth and last child of an affluent middle-class family with no musical connections. His father was a bookseller who made considerable sums from German translations of writers like Cervantes and Walter Scott. Young Robert spent many hours exploring classics in his father's collection. At age six he attended a private preparatory school for four years. By seven he began studying general music and piano with Johann Gottfried Kuntsch. He also took cello and flute lessons from Carl Gottlieb Meissner.
His love of music and literature ran in tandem throughout his childhood. Poems and dramatic works appeared alongside small-scale compositions. He was not a prodigy like Mozart or Mendelssohn, yet his talent as a pianist was evident early on. From 1820 he attended the Zwickau Lyceum until age eighteen. There he read extensively, finding enthusiasm in Schiller and Jean Paul. Paul remained his favorite author and exercised powerful influence on his creativity.
After his final examinations at the Lyceum in March 1828, he entered Leipzig University. Accounts differ about his diligence as a law student. One roommate claimed he never set foot in a lecture hall. Schumann himself recorded that he enjoyed jurisprudence but reading and playing piano occupied most of his time. He developed expensive tastes for champagne and cigars. Musically he discovered Franz Schubert whose death in November 1828 caused him to cry all night.
Later in 1830 Schumann published his Opus 1, a set of piano variations based on the name Countess Pauline von Abegg. The notes A-B flat-E-G-G make up the theme played in waltz tempo. This use of musical cryptograms became a recurrent characteristic of his later music. In 1831 he began lessons in harmony and counterpoint with Heinrich Dorn. By 1832 he had published his Opus 2, Butterflies, depicting twin brothers at a masked ball.
Schumann came to regard himself as having two distinct sides to his personality and art. He dubbed his introspective self Eusebius and his impetuous alter ego Florestan. Reviewing an early work of Chopin in 1831 he wrote about these contrasting aspects. His pianistic ambitions ended by growing paralysis in at least one finger of his right hand. Early symptoms appeared while still a student at Heidelberg. He tried allopathy homeopathy and electric therapy without success.
By 1832 he recognized that a career as virtuoso pianist was impossible. He shifted focus to composition. From March 1834 along with Friedrich Wieck and others he joined the editorial board of Neue Zeitschrift für Musik. It reconstituted under his sole editorship in January 1835. Among contributors were friends writing under pen names included in his League of David band. During successive months in 1835 he met Felix Mendelssohn Chopin and Moscheles.
Schumann felt growing attraction to Wieck's daughter Clara who was sixteen years old. She was her father's star pupil and piano virtuoso emotionally mature beyond her years. Her concerto debut at Leipzig Gewandhaus on the 9th of November 1828 set seal on all earlier successes. Schumann watched her career approvingly since she was nine but only now fell in love. Their feelings were reciprocated when they declared love to each other in January 1836.
Wieck refused consent fearing Schumann could not provide for his daughter. He also feared she would have to abandon her career and legally relinquish inheritance to husband. It took series of acrimonious legal actions over next four years for Schumann to obtain court ruling that he and Clara were free to marry without father's consent. They finally married on the 12th of September 1840 day before her twenty-first birthday.
Clara made sacrifices as pianist of international reputation whose career continually interrupted by motherhood of their seven children. She inspired Schumann in composing career encouraging him to extend range beyond solo piano works. Hall writes marriage gave Schumann emotional and domestic stability on which subsequent achievements founded.
In 1841 Schumann focused on orchestral music. On the 31st of March his First Symphony The Spring premiered by Mendelssohn at concert in Gewandhaus. Clara played Chopin's Second Piano Concerto and some of Schumann's works for solo piano. His next orchestral works included Overture Scherzo and Finale Phantasie for piano and orchestra. A new symphony eventually published as Fourth in D minor followed.
Schumann acknowledged finding orchestration difficult art to master. Many analysts criticized his orchestral writing. Conductors including Gustav Mahler Max Reger Arturo Toscanini Otto Klemperer George Szell made changes to instrumentation before conducting his orchestral music. Julius Harrison considered such alterations fruitless saying essence resides in forthright romantic appeal with personal traits lovable characteristic and faults making up artistic character.
After successful premiere in 1841 first of four symphonies described well fluently written knowledgeably tastefully often quite successfully orchestrated. Later in year second symphony premiered less enthusiastically received. Brahms preferred original more lightly scored version though revised 1851 score usually played. Work now called Second Symphony structurally most classical influenced by Beethoven and Schubert.
During 1840 Schumann turned attention to song producing more than half total output of over three hundred songs. He wrote cycles including Myrtles a wedding present for Clara Woman's Love and Life Poet's Love settings words by Joseph von Eichendorff Heinrich Heine others. Hall comments composer youthful appreciation literature constantly renewed adult life.
Among best-known songs those in four cycles composed in 1840 year Schumann called his year of song. These included Poet's Love comprising sixteen songs with words by Heine Woman's Love and Life eight songs setting poems by Adelbert von Chamisso two sets simply titled Song Cycle Opus 24 set nine Heine settings Opus 39 set twelve settings poems by Eichendorff. Also from 1840 set Schumann wrote as wedding present to Clara Myrtles traditionally part bride's wedding bouquet although comprising twenty-six songs lyrics ten different writers less unified cycle than others.
Although during twentieth century became common practice perform these cycles whole Schumann time beyond usual extract individual songs performance recitals. First documented public performance complete Schumann song cycle not until 1861 five years after composer death baritone Julius Stockhausen sang with Brahms at piano.
With large family support Schumann sought financial security accepting post director music Düsseldorf April 1850. Hall comments retrospectively Schumann fundamentally unsuited for post. His diffidence social situations allied mental instability ensured initially warm relations local musicians gradually deteriorated point removal became necessity 1853. During 1850 composed two substantial late works Third Rhenish Symphony Cello Concerto continued compose prolifically reworked earlier works including D minor symphony 1841 published Fourth Symphony 1851 Symphonic Studies 1852.
In early 1854 health deteriorated drastically. On the 27th of February attempted suicide throwing himself into River Rhine rescued fishermen own request admitted private sanatorium Endenich near Bonn the 4th of March. Remained there more than two years gradually deteriorating intermittent intervals lucidity wrote received letters sometimes essayed composition. Director sanatorium held direct contact patients relatives likely distress all concerned reduce chances recovery. Friends including Brahms Joachim permitted visit Clara did not see husband nearly two and half years confinement only two days before death. Schumann died sanatorium aged 46 the 29th of July 1856 cause recorded pneumonia.
Schumann had considerable influence nineteenth century beyond French composers Fauré Messager made joint pilgrimage his tomb Bonn 1879 Bizet Widor Debussy Ravel developers symbolism Cortot maintained Schumann's inspired Bizet Children's Games Chabrier Debussy Mother Goose Ravel. Elsewhere Europe Elgar called Schumann my ideal Grieg Piano Concerto heavily influenced by Schumann. Tchaikovsky though critical orchestration described him composer genius most striking exponent music our time.
Although Brahms said all learned from Schumann play chess development writing influenced by Schumann. Other composers German-speaking countries music shows Schumann's influence Mahler Richard Strauss Schoenberg. More recently important influence music Wolfgang Rihm incorporated elements chamber works Foreign Scenes opera. During second half nineteenth century developed War Romantics successors including Clara Brahms supporters Joachim Eduard Hanslick seen proponents classic German tradition Beethoven Mendelssohn Schumann opposed adherents Liszt Wagner Draeseke Hans von Bülow Bernard Shaw favor extreme chromatic harmonies explicit programmatic content.
In 1991 first volume complete edition Schumann's works published. Supposedly complete edition published between 1879 and 1887 edited Clara Brahms not complete apart inadvertent omissions two editors deliberately suppressed some later music believed affected declining mental health. In 1980s University Cologne set research department aim locating all composer manuscripts led New Schumann Complete Edition comprises 49 volumes completed 2023.
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Common questions
When and where was Robert Schumann born?
Robert Schumann was born on the 8th of June 1810 in Zwickau. He was the fifth and last child of an affluent middle-class family with no musical connections.
Why did Robert Schumann stop his career as a virtuoso pianist?
Robert Schumann stopped his career as a virtuoso pianist due to growing paralysis in at least one finger of his right hand. Early symptoms appeared while he was still a student at Heidelberg, and various therapies including allopathy homeopathy and electric therapy failed to help him.
Who did Robert Schumann marry and when did they get married?
Robert Schumann married Clara Wieck on the 12th of September 1840 day before her twenty-first birthday. They obtained court permission after four years of acrimonious legal actions because her father Friedrich Wieck refused consent fearing Schumann could not provide for his daughter.
What major works did Robert Schumann compose during his year of song in 1840?
During 1840 Robert Schumann composed over three hundred songs including Poet's Love Woman's Love and Life Myrtles and two sets titled Song Cycle Opus 24 and Opus 39. These cycles set words by poets such as Joseph von Eichendorff Heinrich Heine and Adelbert von Chamisso.
When and how did Robert Schumann die?
Robert Schumann died in a sanatorium near Bonn on the 29th of July 1856 aged 46 from pneumonia. He had attempted suicide by throwing himself into River Rhine on the 27th of February 1854 and was admitted to the private sanatorium Endenich on the 4th of March 1854.