Clara '96 at ClaraSchumann.net

Clara Josephine Wieck Schumann: Short Biography and Quick Facts

(Summarized from New Grove and others)

-Clara was born in Leipzig on September 13, 1819; died in Frankfurt on May 20, 1896.
-Robert Schumann was born in Zwickau on June 8, 1810; died in the asylum at Endenich near Bonn on July 29, 1856.
-Clara's parents were Friedrich Wieck (1785-1873), a music teacher, and Marianne Tromlitz Wieck (Bargiel) (1797-1872), a soprano and student of Wieck; Clara's father had resolved before her birth that she would be a great musician and child prodigy.
-Her first public appearance was in 1828 (age 9); first complete piano recital in 1830 (age 11); first extended tour in 1831.
-She performed extensively and studied piano, voice, violin, instrumentation, score reading, counterpoint, composition; wrote and published several pieces for solo piano.
-Robert Schumann came to live and study with Wieck in 1830, and asked permission to marry Clara in 1837; Wieck objected, and did all he could to prevent the wedding before Clara's 21st birthday when she would be legally able without his consent; Robert and Clara filed a lawsuit, and won, but out of spite went ahead and married the day before her birthday, September 12, 1840.
-They first lived in Leipzig where they both taught in the Conservatory there; they moved to Dresden in 1844, to Düsseldorf in 1850.
-Their children were: Marie (1841-1929), Elise (1843-1928), Julie (1845-72), Emil (1846-47), Ludwig (1848-99), Ferdinand (1849-91), Eugenie (1851-1938), Felix (1854-79).
-Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) met the Schumanns in 1853, and remained a dear friend of both while they lived. -Robert's mental health was poor, and following a suicide attempt in 1854, he was committed to the asylum at Endenich; he is said to have suffered from manic depression and psychosis.
-Clara moved to Berlin in 1857, where she performed, taught, and edited Robert's works and letters; she was known as a champion and interpreter of the music of Schumann and Brahms, and was a direct influence on their music.
-Her playing was characterized by technical mastery, thoughtful interpretation, poetic spirit, depth of feeling, a singing tone, and strict observance of the composer's markings.
-She travelled on 38 concert tours outside Germany.
-All her compositions date from 1853 or before, including 29 songs, 3 partsongs, 4 pieces for piano and orchestra, 20 pieces for solo piano, and cadenzas for 3 piano concertos by Beethoven and Mozart; her works are numbered up to Op. 23, with 17 others without opus numbers.
-She set poetry by: Heine, Rückert, H. Rollet, E. Geibel, Kerner, F. Serre, Goethe, Lyser, and Burns (translated by Gerhard).

Spouses, Pianists, Composers A Biographical Introduction to Op. 37/12

Too often the music of women composers is condemned to particular concerts "For Women Composers Only". Rather than exalting their creativity, this practice gives the impression that women composers need special assistance, that their music is inferior, and that they require affirmative action. Instead, their music should be allowed to stand on its own, freely mingled with music of men composers, especially their colleagues: those with whom they interact and share influence. Only then will the discerning listener be able to objectively assess the imagination and craft of each composer, and praise the genius of those worthy.

A fascinating comparison can be made of the music by Robert and Clara Schumann, who were both pianists and composers. Though Clara's ambitions as a concert pianist and composer were hindered by the responsibilities of family life, Robert encouraged her to compose. Their musical interaction was intense, as they studied symphony scores together, shared reactions to performances, and read similar literature. On the day following their wedding, Robert gave a new diary to Clara for her birthday, recommending that they write and exchange the diary weekly, so that each could pen reflections on music they had heard, projects they were working on, people they had met and dined with, and any personal notes to the other that spoken words could not express. They continued this diary for several years. Today it serves as an intimate narrative of the lives of two artists, and in its recent English translation, provides us with a detailed chronicle of their creative offspring.

Around the same time, during the year of his most productive songwriting (he wrote over 300), Robert suggested that Clara join him in composing a group of songs and publish them intermingled. She began by writing Am Strande, and gave it to him as a gift for Christmas, 1840. Later, they chose poems to set to music from the collection Liebesfrühling (Love's Springtime) by Friedrich Rückert; Clara's were written in June 1841, while she was 6 months pregnant with their first child, Marie. Robert secretly had the 12 songs printed in two volumes and presented them to Clara on their first anniversary, September 12, 1841. Robert's songs were assigned to his Opus 37, and Clara's three contributions comprise her Opus 12, numbers 2, 4, and 11. The resultant list of songs looks confusing: 37:1, 12:2, 37:3, 12:4, 37:5-10, 12:11, and 37:12.

Robert's songs show tremendous variety in shape and quality, and seem more experimental, especially in his response to the words. Clara's songs in this set are either simple and heartfelt, or dramatic displays of piano virtuosity. Her expression of text is direct but full of nuance. Robert and Clara selected quite distinct poems for their songs. Clara chose poems of devotion and passion uniquely from a woman's perspective; Robert preferred poetry full of metaphor, vivid imagery, and classical themes, but likewise revealing a man's viewpoint. As they alternate, the songs reflect the conversation found in the diary itself, an intimate and touching dialogue of two loving and creative souls.

Contents last updated: December 19, 1995

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