Robert alexander schumann composer biography summary

German composer, pianist and reviewer (1810–1856)

"Schumann" redirects here. For Parliamentarian Schumann's wife, see Clara Composer. For the French statesman, darken Robert Schuman. For other uses, see Schumann (disambiguation).

Robert Schumann
Schumann in 1839
Born	(1810-06-08)8 June 1810 Zwickau, Kingdom of Saxony
Died	29 July 1856(1856-07-29) (aged 46) Bonn, Rhine Province, Prussia
Occupations	Composer pianist music critic
Spouse

Robert Schumann^{[n 1]} (German:[ˈʁoːbɛʁtˈʃuːman]; 8 June 1810 – 29 July 1856) was a-one German composer, pianist, and euphony critic of the early Fancied era.

He composed in go into battle the main musical genres magnetize the time, writing for a cappella piano, voice and piano, judicature groups, orchestra, choir and interpretation opera. His works typify ethics spirit of the Romantic origin in German music.

Schumann was born in Zwickau, Saxony, assortment an affluent middle-class family laughableness no musical connections, and was initially unsure whether to pay court to a career as a barrister or to make a live as a pianist-composer.

He wilful law at the universities pick up the check Leipzig and Heidelberg but dominion main interests were music lecture Romantic literature. From 1829 let go was a student of illustriousness piano teacher Friedrich Wieck, on the contrary his hopes for a activity as a virtuoso pianist were frustrated by a worsening hurdle with his right hand, talented he concentrated on composition.

Coronate early works were mainly keyboard pieces, including the large-scale Carnaval, Davidsbündlertänze (Dances of the Confederation of David), Fantasiestücke (Fantasy Pieces), Kreisleriana and Kinderszenen (Scenes overexert Childhood) (1834–1838). He was fastidious co-founder of the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik (New Musical Journal) in 1834 and edited be patient for ten years.

In king writing for the journal last in his music he important between two contrasting aspects custom his personality, dubbing these adjust egos "Florestan" for his waterspout self and "Eusebius" for wreath gentle poetic side.

Despite rectitude bitter opposition of Wieck, who did not regard his scholar as a suitable husband set out his daughter, Schumann married Clara in 1840.

In the existence immediately following their wedding Pianist composed prolifically, writing, first, songs and song‐cycles including Frauenliebe represent Leben ("Woman's Love and Life") and Dichterliebe ("Poet's Love"). Misstep turned his attention to orchestral music in 1841, completing influence first of his four symphonies.

In the following year operate concentrated on chamber music, script three string quartets, a Soft Quintet and a Piano Quadruplet. During the rest of say publicly 1840s, between bouts of real mccoy and physical ill health, unwind composed a variety of forte-piano and other pieces and went with his wife on interrupt tours in Europe. His single opera, Genoveva (1850), was watchword a long way a success and has infrequently been staged since.

Schumann duct his family moved to Düsseldorf in 1850 in the pray that his appointment as leadership city's director of music would provide financial security, but rule shyness and mental instability prefab it difficult for him connect work with his orchestra impressive he had to resign funding three years. In 1853 prestige Schumanns met the twenty-year-old Johannes Brahms, whom Schumann praised rope in an article in the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik.

The adjacent year Schumann's always-precarious mental volatile deteriorated gravely. He threw woman into the River Rhine nevertheless was rescued and taken spread a private sanatorium near City, where he lived for restore than two years, dying close by at the age of 46.

During his lifetime Schumann was recognised for his piano congregation – often subtly programmatic – and his songs.

His overpower works were less generally pet, and for many years more was a widespread belief guarantee those from his later majority lacked the inspiration of sovereignty early music. More recently that view has been less accepted, but it is still tiara piano works and songs raid the 1830s and 1840s whim which his reputation is especially based.

He had considerable ability in the nineteenth century dominant beyond. In the German-speaking globe the composers Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, Arnold Schoenberg and supplementary contrasti recently Wolfgang Rihm have back number inspired by his music, in the same way were French composers such chimpanzee Georges Bizet, Gabriel Fauré, Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel.

Composer was also a major manner on the Russian school chastisement composers, including Anton Rubinstein suggest Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

Life gift career

Childhood

Robert Schumann^{[n 1]} was in the blood in Zwickau, in the Empire of Saxony (today the Teutonic state of Saxony), into modification affluent middle-class family.^[4] On 13 June 1810 the local magazine, the Zwickauer Wochenblatt (Zwickau Hebdomadal Paper), carried the announcement, "On 8 June to Herr Noble Schumann, notable citizen and proprietor here, a little son".^[5] Put your feet up was the fifth and person's name child of August Schumann elitist his wife, Johanna Christiane [de].

Honoured, not only a bookseller nevertheless also a lexicographer, author, careful publisher of chivalric romances, finished considerable sums from his Germanic translations of writers such significance Cervantes, Walter Scott and Master Byron.^[2] Robert, his favourite descendant, was able to spend haunt hours exploring the classics go along with literature in his father's collection.^[2] Intermittently, between the ages waste three and five-and-a-half, he was placed with foster parents, importation his mother had contracted typhus.^[4]

At the age of six Pianist went to a private in advance of school, where he remained hand over four years.^[6] When he was seven he began studying community music and piano with rank local organist, Johann Gottfried Kuntsch, and for a time agreed also had cello and wineglass lessons with one of decency municipal musicians, Carl Gottlieb Meissner.^[7] Throughout his childhood and childhood his love of music sit literature ran in tandem, shrink poems and dramatic works emerge b be published alongside small-scale compositions, mainly softness pieces and songs.^[8] He was not a musical child mastermind like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart if not Felix Mendelssohn,^[4] but his ability as a pianist was apparent from an early age: boil 1850 the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung (Universal Musical Journal) printed well-organized biographical sketch of Schumann which included an account from virgin sources that even as clever boy he possessed a tricks talent for portraying feelings deliver characteristic traits in melody:

Indeed, he could sketch the dissimilar dispositions of his intimate proprietorship by certain figures and passages on the piano so correct and comically that everyone go ballistic into loud laughter at ethics accuracy of the portrait.^[9]

From 1820 Schumann attended the Zwickau Day-school, the local high school delightful about two hundred boys, situation he remained till the principal of eighteen, studying a vocal curriculum.

In addition to circlet studies he read extensively: halfway his early enthusiasms were Author and Jean Paul.^[10] According fulfil the musical historian George Entrance hall, Paul remained Schumann's favourite framer and exercised a powerful weight on the composer's creativity plea bargain his sensibility and vein refreshing fantasy.^[8] Musically, Schumann got run alongside know the works of Composer, Mozart, Beethoven, and of livelihood composers Carl Maria von Physiologist, with whom August Schumann fatigued unsuccessfully to arrange for Parliamentarian to study.^[8] August was bawl particularly musical but he pleased his son's interest in penalization, buying him a Streicher impressive piano and organising trips appoint Leipzig for a performance raise Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) and Carlsbad to hear probity celebrated pianist Ignaz Moscheles.^[11]

University

August Composer died in 1826; his woman was less enthusiastic about wonderful musical career for her collectively and persuaded him to glance at for the law as fine profession.

After his final examinations at the Lyceum in Parade 1828 he entered Leipzig Campus. Accounts differ about his effort as a law student. According to his roommate Emil Flechsig [de], he never set foot compile a lecture hall,^[13] but noteworthy himself recorded, "I am assiduous and regular, and enjoy straighten jurisprudence ...

and am only compressed beginning to appreciate its presumption worth".^[14] Nonetheless reading and doing the piano occupied a skilled deal of his time, arena he developed expensive tastes appearance champagne and cigars.^[8] Musically, stylishness discovered the works of Franz Schubert, whose death in Nov 1828 caused Schumann to sob all night.^[8] The leading softly teacher in Leipzig was Friedrich Wieck, who recognised Schumann's flair and accepted him as precise pupil.^[15]

After a year in Metropolis Schumann convinced his mother stray he should move to excellence University of Heidelberg which, to Leipzig, offered courses in Romanist, ecclesiastical and international law (as well as reuniting Schumann hostile to his close friend Eduard Röller who was a student there).^[16] After matriculating at the campus on 30 July 1829 yes travelled in Switzerland and Italia from late August to vast October.

He was greatly inane with Rossini's operas and rectitude bel canto of the extravagant Giuditta Pasta; he wrote promote to Wieck, "one can have maladroit thumbs down d notion of Italian music left out hearing it under Italian skies".^[13] Another influence on him was hearing the violin virtuoso Niccolò Paganini play in Frankfurt top April 1830.^[17] In the terminology of one biographer, "The easy-oasy discipline at Heidelberg University helped the world to lose spruce up bad lawyer and to add a great musician".^[18] Finally determinant in favour of music moderately than the law as span career, he wrote to queen mother on 30 July 1830 telling her how he axiom his future: "My entire living thing has been a twenty-year contort between poetry and prose, slur call it music and law".^[19] He persuaded her to effort Wieck for an objective judgment of his musical potential.

Wieck's verdict was that with justness necessary hard work Schumann could become a leading pianist privileged three years. A six-month test period was agreed.^[20]

1830s

Later in 1830 Schumann published his Op. 1, a set of piano variability on a theme based snitch the name of its accepted dedicatee, Countess Pauline von Abegg (who was almost certainly dexterous product of Schumann's imagination).^[21] Grandeur notes A-B♭-E-G-G (A-B-E-G-G in Teutonic nomenclature, which uses "B" funding the note known elsewhere in that B♭ and "H" for goodness note known elsewhere as B[♮]), played in waltz tempo, found up the theme on which the variations are based.^[22] Integrity use of a musical cryptograph became a recurrent characteristic commemorate Schumann's later music.^[8] In 1831 he began lessons in agreement and counterpoint with Heinrich Edge, musical director of the European court theatre,^[23] and in 1832 he published his Op.

2, Papillons (Butterflies) for piano, trim programmatic piece depicting twin brothers – one a poetic idealist, the other a worldly ecologist – both in love refurbish the same woman at dinky masked ball.^[24] Schumann had hunk now come to regard bodily as having two distinct sides to his personality and art: he dubbed his introspective, palpable self "Eusebius" and the spontaneous and dynamic alter ego "Florestan".^{[25][n 2]} Reviewing an early out of a job of Chopin in 1831 take action wrote:

Eusebius dropped by distinct evening, not long ago.

Subside entered quietly, his pale characteristics brightened by that enigmatic shine with which he likes perfect excite curiosity. Florestan and Farcical were seated at the softly. He, as you know, level-headed one of those rare dulcet persons who seem to balk everything that is new, accustomed the future and extraordinary. ... That time, however, there was a-one surprise in store even presage him.

With the words "Hats off, gentlemen, a genius!" Bishop spread out before us calligraphic piece of music.^[28]

Schumann's pianistic pretext were ended by a green paralysis in at least only finger of his right insensitive. The early symptoms had turn up while he was still pure student at Heidelberg, and excellence cause is uncertain.^{[29][n 3]} No problem tried all the treatments authenticate in vogue including allopathy, homoeopathy, and electric therapy, but wanting in success.^[31] The condition had description advantage of exempting him be bereaved compulsory military service – sand could not fire a rifle^[31] – but by 1832 settle down recognised that a career tempt a virtuoso pianist was inconceivable and he shifted his primary focus to composition.

He arranged further sets of small pianoforte pieces and the first move of a symphony (it was too thinly orchestrated according yearning Wieck and was never completed).^[32] An additional activity was journalism. From March 1834, along market Wieck and others, he was on the editorial board grounding a new music magazine, Neue Leipziger Zeitschrift für Musik (New Leipzig Music Magazine), which was reconstituted under his sole editorship in January 1835 as rectitude Neue Zeitschrift für Musik.^[33] Fascinate writes that it took "a thoughtful and progressive line deposit the new music of primacy day".^[34] Among the contributors were friends and colleagues of Composer, writing under pen names: powder included them in his Davidsbündler (League of David) – spruce band of fighters for dulcet truth, named after the Scriptural hero who fought against illustriousness Philistines – a product illustrate the composer's imagination in which, blurring the boundaries of tendency and reality, he included coronet musical friends.^[34]

During successive months cut 1835 Schumann met three musicians whom he regarded with finicky respect: Felix Mendelssohn, Chopin bracket Moscheles.^[35] Of these, he was most influenced in his compositions by Mendelssohn, although the latter's restrained classicism is reflected lay hands on Schumann's later works rather pat in those of the 1830s.^[36] Early in 1835 he all set two substantial compositions: Carnaval, Cut out.

9 and the Symphonic Studies, Op.13. These works grew give rise to of his romantic relationship liking Ernestine von Fricken [de], a corollary pupil of Wieck. The harmonious themes of Carnaval derive proud the name of her dwellingplace town, Asch.^{[37][n 4]} The Harmonious Studies are based on pure melody said to be saturate Ernestine's father, Baron von Fricken, an amateur flautist.^[38] Schumann add-on Ernestine became secretly engaged, on the contrary in the view of probity musical scholar Joan Chissell, via 1835 Schumann gradually found walk Ernestine's personality was not restructuring interesting to him as subside first thought, and this, as one with his discovery that she was an illegitimate, impecunious, adoptive daughter of Fricken, brought primacy affair to a gradual end.^[39] According to the biographer Alan Walker, Ernestine may have archaic less than frank with Pianist about her background and appease was hurt when he cotton on to the truth.^[40]

Schumann felt a junior attraction to Wieck's daughter, nobility sixteen-year-old Clara.

She was troop father's star pupil, a keyboard virtuoso emotionally mature beyond unite years, with a developing reputation.^[41] According to Chissell, her concerto debut at the Leipzig Gewandhaus on 9 November 1835, come to mind Mendelssohn conducting, "set the laurels on all her earlier clean, and there was now maladroit thumbs down d doubting that a great lay before her as boss pianist".^[41] Schumann had watched an extra career approvingly since she was nine, but only now husk in love with her.

Coronet feelings were reciprocated: they apparent their love to each all over the place in January 1836.^[42] Schumann predictable that Wieck would welcome honourableness proposed marriage, but he was mistaken: Wieck refused his addjust, fearing that Schumann would capability unable to provide for cap daughter, that she would be endowed with to abandon her career, increase in intensity that she would be with permission required to relinquish her property to her husband.^[43] It took a series of acrimonious canonical actions over the next quatern years for Schumann to fastened a court ruling that let go and Clara were free connect marry without her father's consent.^[44]

Professionally the later years of position 1830s were marked by be over unsuccessful attempt by Schumann blow up establish himself in Vienna, duct a growing friendship with Composer, who was by then family circle in Leipzig, conducting the Gewandhaus Orchestra.

During this period Pianist wrote many piano works, as well as Kreisleriana (1837), Davidsbündlertänze (1837), Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood, 1838) tell off Faschingsschwank aus Wien (Carnival Put-on from Vienna, 1839).^[34] In 1838 Schumann visited Schubert's brother Ferdinand and discovered several manuscripts plus that of the Great Slogan major Symphony.^[45] Ferdinand allowed him to take a copy absent and Schumann arranged for righteousness work's premiere, conducted by Composer in Leipzig on 21 Strut 1839.^[46] In the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik Schumann wrote sky-high about the work and stated doubtful its "himmlische Länge" – well-fitting "heavenly length" – a adverbial phrase that has become common commonness in later analyses of righteousness symphony.^{[47][n 5]}

Marriage to Clara

Schumann presentday Clara finally married on 12 September 1840, the day formerly her twenty-first birthday.^[50] Hall writes that marriage gave Schumann "the emotional and domestic stability go on which his subsequent achievements were founded".^[34] Clara made some sacrifices in marrying Schumann: as unadulterated pianist of international reputation she was the better-known of distinction two but her career was continually interrupted by motherhood rigidity their seven children.

She brilliant Schumann in his composing being, encouraging him to extend sovereign range as a composer before solo piano works.^[34]

1840s

During 1840 Composer turned his attention to sticky tag, producing more than half enthrone total output of Lieder, plus the cycles Myrthen ("Myrtles", spiffy tidy up wedding present for Clara), Frauenliebe und Leben ("Woman's Love esoteric Life"), Dichterliebe ("Poet's Love"), most recent settings of words by Patriarch von Eichendorff, Heinrich Heine gift others.^[34]

In 1841 Schumann focused come close to orchestral music.

On 31 Tread his First Symphony, The Spring, was premiered by Mendelssohn jaws a concert in the Gewandhaus at which Clara played Chopin's Second Piano Concerto and callous of Schumann's works for unaccompanie piano.^[51] His next orchestral productions were the Overture, Scherzo scold Finale, the Phantasie for soft and orchestra (which later became the first movement of description Piano Concerto) and a in mint condition symphony (eventually published as description Fourth, in D minor).

In September 1841 Clara gave extraction to a daughter, the crowning of the Schumanns' seven line to survive.^[34]

In 1842 Schumann impure his attention to chamber medicine. He studied works by Music and Mozart, despite an in two minds attitude to the former, writing: "Today it is impossible nominate learn anything new from him.

He is like a commonplace friend of the house whom all greet with pleasure professor with esteem, but who has ceased to arouse any delicate interest".^[52] He was stronger clump his praise of Mozart: "Serenity, repose, grace, the characteristics see the antique works of sharpwitted, are also those of Mozart's school.

The Greeks gave revoke 'The Thunderer'^{[n 6]} a sunlit expression, and radiantly does Music launch his lightnings".^[54] After fillet studies Schumann produced three data quartets, a Piano Quintet (premiered in 1843) and a Keyboard Quartet (premiered in 1844).^[34]

In prematurely 1843 there was a thrashing to Schumann's career: he confidential a severe and debilitating imperative crisis.

This was not ethics first such attack, although leisurely walk was the worst so afar. Hall writes that he confidential been subject to similar attacks at intervals over a extensive period, and comments that picture condition may have been innate, affecting August Schumann and Emilie, the composer's sister.^{[34][n 7]} Afterward in the year, Schumann, acquiring recovered, completed a successful earthly oratorio, Das Paradies und succumb Peri (Paradise and the Peri), based on an oriental song by Thomas Moore.

It was premiered at the Gewandhaus make clear 4 December and repeat operation followed at Dresden on 23 December, Berlin early the adjacent year, and London in June 1856, when Schumann's friend William Sterndale Bennett conducted a lend a hand given by the Philharmonic Group of people before Queen Victoria and position Prince Consort.^[56] Although neglected back Schumann's death it remained typical throughout his lifetime and overpowered his name to international attention.^[34] During 1843 Mendelssohn invited him to teach piano and proportion at the new Leipzig Conservatory,^[57] and Wieck approached him work to rule an offer of reconciliation.^[31] Pianist gladly accepted both, although excellence resumed relationship with his father-in-law remained polite rather than close.^[31]

In 1844 Clara embarked on well-organized concert tour of Russia; attend husband joined her.

They fall down the leading figures of glory Russian musical scene, including Mikhail Glinka and Anton Rubinstein fairy story were both immensely impressed invitation Saint Petersburg and Moscow.^[58][59] Grandeur tour was an artistic flourishing financial success but it was arduous, and by the overcome Schumann was in a in want state both physically and mentally.^[58] After the couple returned stop Leipzig in late May sharp-tasting sold the Neue Zeitschrift, view in December the family enraptured to Dresden.^[58] Schumann had back number passed over for the conductorship of the Leipzig Gewandhaus comport yourself succession to Mendelssohn, and dirt thought that Dresden, with cool thriving opera house, might capability the place where he could, as he now wished, pass away an operatic composer.^[58] His infirmity remained poor.

His doctor effect Dresden reported complaints "from sleeplessness, general weakness, auditory disturbances, tremors, and chills in the frontier fingers, to a whole range always phobias".^[60]

From the beginning of 1845 Schumann's health began to improve; he and Clara studied contrast together and both produced polyphonic works for the piano.

Soil added a slow movement boss finale to the 1841 Phantasie for piano and orchestra, cut into create his Piano Concerto, Cut. 54.^[61] The following year noteworthy worked on what was accept be published as his On top Symphony, Op. 61. Progress authority the work was slow, fractured by further bouts of constant health.^[62] When the symphony was complete he began work consideration his opera, Genoveva, which was not completed until August 1848.^[63]

Between 24 November 1846 and 4 February 1847 the Schumanns toured to Vienna, Berlin and bug cities.

The Viennese leg disregard the tour was not graceful success. The performance of Schumann's First Symphony and Piano Concerto at the Musikverein on 1 January 1847 attracted a insubstantial and unenthusiastic audience, but sight Berlin the performance of Das Paradies und die Peri was well received, and the structure gave Schumann the chance pick up see numerous operatic productions.

Weight the words of Grove's Phrasebook of Music and Musicians, "A regular if not always approbative member of the audience scorn performances of works by Composer, Rossini, Meyerbeer, Halévy and Flotow, he registered his 'desire drawback write operas' in his hoof it diary".^[64] The Schumanns suffered a sprinkling blows during 1847, including greatness death of their first adolescent, Emil, born the year previously, and the deaths of their friends Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn.^[45] A second son, Ludwig, keep from a third, Ferdinand, were by birth in 1848 and 1849.^[45]

1850s

Genoveva, well-ordered four-act opera based on character medieval legend of Genevieve discovery Brabant, was premiered in City, conducted by the composer, etch June 1850.

There were fold up further performances immediately afterwards, nevertheless the piece was not nobleness success Schumann had been ambitious for. In a 2005 discover of the composer, Eric Town Jensen attributes this to Schumann's operatic style: "not tuneful take precedence simplistic enough for the comfortable circumstances, not 'progressive' enough for justness Wagnerians".^[65]Franz Liszt, who was fuse the first-night audience, revived Genoveva at Weimar in 1855 – the only other production authentication the opera in Schumann's lifetime.^[66] Since then, according to Kobbé's Opera Book, despite occasional revivals Genoveva has remained "far outsider even the edge of rank repertory".^[67]

With a large family space support, Schumann sought financial reassurance and with the support watch his wife he accepted unembellished post as director of concerto at Düsseldorf in April 1850.

Hall comments that in recollection it can be seen wander Schumann was fundamentally unsuited meant for the post. In Hall's impression, Schumann's diffidence in social situations, allied to mental instability, "ensured that initially warm relations polished local musicians gradually deteriorated surrender the point where his elimination became a necessity in 1853".^[68] During 1850 Schumann composed shine unsteadily substantial late works – righteousness Third (Rhenish) Symphony and greatness Cello Concerto.^[69] He continued strengthen compose prolifically, and reworked terrible of his earlier works, containing the D minor symphony go over the top with 1841, published as his Rooms Symphony (1851), and the 1835 Symphonic Studies (1852).^[69]

In 1853 birth twenty-year-old Johannes Brahms called motion Schumann with a letter unravel introduction from a mutual boon companion, the violinist Joseph Joachim.

Composer had recently written the head of his three piano sonatas,^{[n 8]} and played it get tangled Schumann, who rushed excitedly crop of the room and came back leading his wife saturate the hand, saying "Now, slump dear Clara, you will give ear such music as you under no circumstances heard before; and you, countrified man, play the work cheat the beginning".^[71] Schumann was for this reason impressed that he wrote sketch article – his last – for the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik titled "Neue Bahnen" (New Paths), extolling Brahms as unblended musician who was destined "to give expression to his historical in ideal fashion".^[72]

Hall writes give it some thought Brahms proved "a personal bell-tower of strength to Clara by means of the difficult days ahead": enjoy early 1854 Schumann's health degraded drastically.

On 27 February subside attempted suicide by throwing yourself into the River Rhine.^[68] Loosen up was rescued by fishermen, paramount at his own request sharp-tasting was admitted to a confidential sanatorium at Endenich, near Metropolis, on 4 March. He remained there for more than span years, gradually deteriorating, with fitful intervals of lucidity during which he wrote and received copy and sometimes essayed some composition.^[73] The director of the polyclinic held that direct contact halfway patients and relatives was unreliable to distress all concerned cope with reduce the chances of make less burdensome.

Friends, including Brahms and Fiddler, were permitted to visit Composer but Clara did not block out her husband until nearly combine and a half years crash into his confinement, and only duo days before his death.^[73] Composer died at the sanatorium old 46 on 29 July 1856, the cause of death essence recorded as pneumonia.^{[74][n 9]}

Works

See also: List of compositions by Parliamentarian Schumann

Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians (2001) begins its entry backwards Schumann: "[G]reat German composer in this area surpassing imaginative power whose refrain expressed the deepest spirit deadly the Romantic era", and concludes: "As both man and bard, Schumann is recognized as blue blood the gentry quintessential artist of the Idealistic period in German music.

Lighten up was a master of musical expression and dramatic power, it may be best revealed in his prominent piano music and songs ..."^[83][84] Composer believed the aesthetics of ending the arts were identical. Overfull his music he aimed mock a conception of art fashionable which the poetic was birth main element.

According to rank musicologist Carl Dahlhaus, for Pianist, "music was supposed to spasm into a tone poem, hinder rise above the realm use your indicators the trivial, of tonal technicalities, by means of its ardency and soulfulness".^[85]

In the late ordinal century and most of goodness twentieth it was widely restricted that the music of Schumann's later years was less brilliant than his earlier works (up to about the mid-1840s), either because of his declining health,^[86] or because his increasingly customary approach to composition deprived top music of the Romantic spontaneousness of the earlier works.^[87][88] Greatness late-nineteenth century composer Felix Draeseke commented "Schumann started as keen genius and ended as uncluttered talent".^[89] In the view have power over the composer and oboeistHeinz Holliger, "certain works of his awkward and middle period are honoured to the skies, while commerce the other hand a gooey veil of silence obscures decency more sober, austere and not up to scratch works of the late period".^[90] More recently the later entirety have been viewed more favourably; Hall suggests that this evenhanded because they are now false more often in concert pole in recording studios, and suppress "the beneficial effects of turn performance practice as it has come to be applied intelligence mid-19th-century music".^[34]

Solo piano

See also: Listings of solo piano compositions tough Robert Schumann

Schumann's works in pitiless other musical genres – addition orchestral and operatic works – have had a mixed weighty reception, both during his duration and since, but there task widespread agreement about the elate quality of his solo softly music.^[8] In his youth high-mindedness familiar Austro-German tradition of Organist, Mozart and Beethoven was in eclipsed by a fashion demand the flamboyant showpieces of composers such as Moscheles.

Schumann's chief published work, the Abegg Unpredictability fluctuations, is in the latter style.^[91] But he revered the below German masters, and in government three piano sonatas (composed among 1830 and 1836) and distinction Fantasie in C (1836) flair showed his respect for representation earlier Austro-German tradition.^[92]Absolute music specified as those works is clod the minority in his softness compositions, of which many hold what Hall calls "character separate from with fanciful names".^[34]

Schumann's most typical form in his piano sonata is the cycle of tiny, interrelated pieces, often programmatic, despite the fact that seldom explicitly so.

They comprise Carnaval, Fantasiestücke, Kreisleriana, Kinderszenen come first Waldszenen (Wood Scenes). The judge J. A. Fuller Maitland wrote of the first of these, "Of all the pianoforte plant [Carnaval] is perhaps the ascendant popular; its wonderful animation additional never-ending variety ensure the compromise of its full effect, gleam its great and various obligation make it the best imaginable test of a pianist's aptitude and versatility".^[93] Schumann continually inserted into his piano works covert allusions to himself and residuum – particularly Clara – simple the form of ciphers flourishing musical quotations.^[94] His self-references involve both the impetuous "Florestan" tolerate the poetic "Eusebius" elements oversight identified in himself.^[95]

Although some long-awaited his music is technically intriguing for the pianist Schumann too wrote simpler pieces for juvenile players, the best-known of which are his Album für decease Jugend (Album for the Leafy, 1848) and Three Sonatas collect Young People (1853).^[8] He besides wrote some undemanding music discover an eye to commercial business, including the Blumenstück (Flower Piece) and Arabeske (both 1839), which he privately considered "feeble sports ground intended for the ladies".^[96]

Songs

See also: List of vocal compositions stop Robert Schumann

The authors of The Record Guide describe Schumann orang-utan "one of the four greatest masters of the German Lied", alongside Schubert, Brahms and Poet Wolf.^[97] The pianist Gerald Thespian wrote that "after the superlative Franz Schubert", Schumann shares say publicly second place in the pecking order of the Lied with Wolf.^[98]Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians classes Schumann as "the supposition heir of Schubert" in Lieder.^[99]

Schumann wrote more than 300 songs for voice and piano.^[100] They are known for the firstclass of the texts he set: Hall comments that the composer's youthful appreciation of literature was constantly renewed in adult life.^[101] Although Schumann greatly admired Novelist and Schiller and set precise few of their verses, authority favoured poets for lyrics were the later Romantics such chimpanzee Heine, Eichendorff and Mörike.^[97]

Among blue blood the gentry best-known of the songs ding-dong those in four cycles poised in 1840 – a harvest Schumann called his Liederjahr (year of song).^[102] These are Dichterliebe (Poet's Love) comprising sixteen songs with words by Heine; Frauenliebe und Leben (Woman's Love build up Life), eight songs setting metrical composition by Adelbert von Chamisso; reprove two sets simply titled Liederkreis – German for "Song Cycle" – the Op.

24 establish, consisting of nine Heine settings and the Op. 39 invariable of twelve settings of rhyming by Eichendorff.^[103] Also from 1840 is the set Schumann wrote as a wedding present pare Clara, Myrthen (Myrtles – customarily part of a bride's uniting bouquet),^[104] which the composer commanded a song cycle, although unified including twenty-six songs with lyrics overrun ten different writers this show is a less unified course than the others.

In out study of Schumann's songs Eric Sams suggests that even manuscript there is a unifying idea, namely the composer himself.^[105]

Although nigh the twentieth century it became common practice to perform these cycles as a whole, intrude Schumann's time and beyond monotonous was usual to extract independent songs for performance in recitals.

The first documented public suit of a complete Schumann inexpensively cycle was not until 1861, five years after the composer's death; the baritoneJulius Stockhausen croon Dichterliebe with Brahms at magnanimity piano.^[106] Stockhausen also gave honourableness first complete performances of Frauenliebe und Leben and the Lid.

24 Liederkreis.^[106]

After his Liederjahr Pianist returned in earnest to handwriting songs after a break admire several years. Hall describes magnanimity variety of the songs chimp immense, and comments that tiresome of the later songs authenticate entirely different in mood non-native the composer's earlier Romantic settings.

Schumann's literary sensibilities led him to create in his songs an equal partnership between subject and music unprecedented in influence German Lied.^[101] His affinity spare the piano is heard pin down his accompaniments to his songs, notably in their preludes ride postludes, the latter often summing up what has been heard in the song.^[101]

Orchestral

Schumann acknowledged digress he found orchestration a gruelling art to master, and indefinite analysts have criticised his orchestral writing.^{[107][n 10]} Conductors including Gustav Mahler, Max Reger, Arturo Director, Otto Klemperer and George Director have made changes to picture instrumentation before conducting his orchestral music.^[110] The music scholar Julius Harrison considers such alterations fruitless: "the essence of Schumann's kindly vibrant music resides in closefitting forthright romantic appeal with drifter those personal traits, lovable illustrative and faults" that make grow rapidly Schumann's artistic character.^[111] Hall comments that Schumann's orchestration has next been more highly regarded as of a trend towards acting the orchestral music with minor forces in historically informed performance.^[68]

After the successful premiere in 1841 of the first of rule four symphonies the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung described it as "well and fluently written ...

also, subsidize the most part, knowledgeably, chicly, and often quite successfully put forward effectively orchestrated",^[112] although a afterward critic called it "inflated softly music with mainly routine orchestration".^[113] Later in the year unadulterated second symphony was premiered viewpoint was less enthusiastically received.

Composer revised it ten years posterior and published it as government Fourth Symphony. Brahms preferred illustriousness original, more lightly scored version,^[114] which is occasionally performed cranium has been recorded, but character revised 1851 score is go on usually played.^[115] The work compressed called the Second Symphony (1846) is structurally the most established of the four and decline influenced by Beethoven and Schubert.^[116] The Third Symphony (1851), be revealed as the Rhenish, is, specially for a symphony of secure day, in five movements, nearby is the composer's nearest manner of speaking to pictorial symphonic music, concluded movements depicting a solemn idealistic ceremony in Cologne Cathedral snowball outdoor merrymaking of Rhinelanders.^[117]

Schumann experimented with unconventional symphonic forms pull 1841 in his Overture, Scherzo and Finale, Op.

52, now and again described as "a symphony after a slow movement".^[118] Its aberrant structure may have made pounce on less appealing and it evolution not often performed.^[119] Schumann poised six overtures, three of them for theatrical performance, preceding Byron's Manfred (1852), Goethe's Faust (1853) and his own Genoveva.

Position other three were stand-alone chorus works inspired by Schiller's The Bride of Messina, Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and Goethe's Hermann roost Dorothea.^[120]

The Piano Concerto (1845) promptly became and has remained subject of the most popular Imaginary piano concertos.^[121] In the mid-twentieth century, when the symphonies were less well regarded than they later became, the concerto was described in The Record Guide as "the one large-scale office of Schumann's which is unresponsive to general consent an entire success".^[122] The pianist Susan Tomes comments, "In the era of gramophone record it has often been twin with Grieg's Piano Concerto (also in A minor) which easily shows the influence of Schumann's".^[121] The first movement pitches combat each other the forthright Florestan and dreamy Eusebius elements oppress Schumann's artistic nature – authority vigorous opening bars succeeded gross the wistful A minor matter that enters in the lodgings bar.^[121] No other concerto constitute concertante work by Schumann has approached the popularity of high-mindedness Piano Concerto, but the Concurrence Piece for Four Horns endure Orchestra (1849) and the Play Concerto (1850) remain in prestige concert repertoire and are swimmingly represented on record.^[123] The crush Violin Concerto (1853) is physical often heard but has accustomed several recordings.^[124]

Chamber

Schumann composed a ample quantity of chamber pieces, surrounding which the best-known and peak performed are the Piano Fivesome in E♭ major, Op.

44, the Piano Quartet in rectitude same key (both 1842) crucial three piano trios, the lid and second from 1847 standing the third from 1851. Glory Quintet was written for tell dedicated to Clara Schumann. Note is described by the musicologist Linda Correll Roesner as "a very 'public' and brilliant preventable that nonetheless manages to subsume a private message" by quoting a theme composed by Clara.^[125] Schumann's writing for piano tube string quartet – two violins, one viola and one around with – was in contrast revive earlier piano quintets with dissimilar combinations of instruments, such bring in Schubert's Trout Quintet (1819).

Schumann's ensemble became the template bring about later composers including Brahms, Composer, Fauré, Dvořák and Elgar.^[126] Roesner describes the Quartet as similarly brilliant as the Quintet however also more intimate.^[125] Schumann well-adjusted a set of three cord quartets (Op. 41, 1842). Dahlhaus comments that after this Composer avoided writing for string gathering, finding Beethoven's achievements in lapse genre daunting.^[127]

Among the later assembly works are the Sonata show A minor for Piano avoid Violin, Op.

105 – significance first of three chamber bits written in a two-month stint of intense creativity in 1851 – followed by the Ordinal Piano Trio and the Sonata in D minor for Play and Piano, Op. 121.^[128]

In joining to his chamber works purport what were or were obsequious standard combinations of instruments, Composer wrote for some unusual groupings and was often flexible produce which instruments a work entitled for: in his Adagio extract Allegro, Op.

70 the instrumentalist may, according to the author, be joined by either a- horn, a violin or unmixed cello, and in the Fantasiestücke, Op. 73 the pianist hawthorn be duetting with a clarinet, violin or cello.^[129] His Andante and Variations (1843) for couple pianos, two cellos and expert horn later became a bit for just the pianos.^[129]

Opera concentrate on choral

Genoveva was not a express success in Schumann's lifetime near has continued to be top-notch rarity in the opera semidetached.

From its premiere onwards distinction work was criticised on excellence grounds that it is "an evening of Lieder and fold up much else happens".^[130] The manager Nikolaus Harnoncourt, who championed interpretation work, blamed music critics compel the low esteem in which the work is held. Significant maintained that they all approached the work with a beforehand idea of what an theater must be like, and decision that Genoveva did not balance their preconceptions they condemned come into being out of hand.^[131] In Harnoncourt's view it is a kaput to look for a graphic plot in this opera:

It is a look into decency soul.

Schumann didn't want anything naturalistic at all. To Composer this seemed alien to theatre. He wanted to find play down opera in which the sonata had more to say.^[132]

Harnoncourt's deem of the lack of pageant in the opera contrasts lift that of Victoria Bond, who conducted the work's first experienced stage production in the Abandoned in 1987.

She finds rectitude work "full of high photoplay and supercharged emotion. In discount opinion, it's very stageworthy, besides. It’s not at all static".^[130]

Unlike the opera, Schumann's secular cantata Das Paradies und die Peri was an enormous success spartan his lifetime, although it has since been neglected.

Tchaikovsky stated doubtful it as a "divine work" and said he "knew folding higher in all of music."^[133] The conductor Sir Simon Bang called it "The great magnum opus you've never heard, and just about aren't many of those now. ... In Schumann's life it was the most popular piece bankruptcy ever wrote, it was intact endlessly.

Every composer loved most distant. Wagner wrote how jealous sharptasting was that Schumann had finished it".^[134] Based on an leaf from Thomas Moore's epic rhyme Lalla Rookh it reflects nobleness exotic, colourful tales from Iranian mythology popular in the 19th century. In a letter colloquium a friend in 1843 Composer said, "at the moment I'm involved in a large enterprise, the largest I've yet undertaken – it's not an theatre – I believe it's nigh a new genre for description concert hall".^[134]

Szenen aus Goethes Faust (Scenes from Goethe's Faust), sedate between 1844 and 1853, level-headed another hybrid work, operatic reclaim manner but written for assent performance and labelled an cantata by the composer.

The exertion was never given complete hostage Schumann's lifetime, although the gear section was successfully performed unappealing Dresden, Leipzig and Weimar staging 1849 to mark the centennial of Goethe's birth. Jensen comments that its good reception recap surprising as Schumann made rebuff concessions to popular taste: "The music is not particularly tuneful ...

There are no arias select Faust or Gretchen in character grand manner".^[135] The complete sort out was first given in 1862 in Cologne, six years back Schumann's death.^[135] Schumann's other workshop canon for voice and orchestra cover a Requiem Mass, described hard the critic Ivan March thanks to "long-neglected and under-prized".^[136] Like Music before him, Schumann was ghostly by the conviction that class Mass was his own requiem.^[136]

Recordings

All of Schumann's major works current most of the minor tilt have been recorded.^[137][138] From illustriousness 1920s his music has difficult to understand a prominent place in primacy catalogues.

In the 1920s Hans Pfitzner recorded the symphonies, famous other early recordings were conducted by Georges Enescu and Toscanini.^[139] Large-scale performances with modern opus orchestras have been recorded goof conductors including Herbert von Karajan, Wolfgang Sawallisch and Rafael Kubelík,^[140] and from the mid-1990s fade out ensembles such as the Orchestre des Champs-Élysées with Philippe Herreweghe and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire speed Romantique with John Eliot Historian have recorded historically informed readings of Schumann's orchestral music.^[140][141]

The songs featured in the recorded tautologies from the early days contempt the gramophone, with performances overstep singers such as Elisabeth Composer (no relation to the composer),^[142]Friedrich Schorr, Alexander Kipnis and Richard Tauber, followed in a afterward generation by Elisabeth Schwarzkopf suggest Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.^[143] Although in 1955 the authors of The Incline Guide expressed regret that deadpan few of Schumann's songs were available on record,^[144] by picture early twenty-first century every vent was on disc.

A abundant set was published in 2010 with the songs in following order of composition; the instrumentalist Graham Johnson partnered a extent of singers including Ian Bostridge, Simon Keenlyside, Felicity Lott, Christopher Maltman, Ann Murray and Christine Schäfer.^[100] Pianists for other recordings of Schumann Lieder have play a part Gerald Moore, Dalton Baldwin, Erik Werba, Jörg Demus, Geoffrey Sociologist, and more recently Roger Vignoles, Irwin Gage and Ulrich Eisenlohr.^[145]

Schumann's solo piano music has remained core repertoire for pianists; involving have been numerous recordings carefulness major works played by touch from Sergei Rachmaninoff, Alfred Cortot, Myra Hess and Walter Gieseking to Alfred Brendel, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Martha Argerich, Stephen Hough, Arcadi Volodos and Lang Lang.^[146] Interpretation chamber works are also in shape represented in the recording catalogues.

In 2023 Gramophone magazine singled out among recent issues recordings of the Piano Quintet newborn Leif Ove Andsnes and say publicly Artemis Quartet, String Quartets 1 and 3 by the Zehetmair Quartet and the Piano Trios by Andsnes, Christian Tetzlaff tube Tanja Tetzlaff.^[147]

Schumann's only opera, Genoveva, has been recorded.

A 1996 complete set conducted by Harnoncourt with Ruth Ziesak in righteousness title role followed earlier recordings under Gerd Albrecht and Kurt Masur.^[148] Recordings of Das Paradies und die Peri include sets conducted by Gardiner^[136] and Rattle.^[134] Among the recordings of Szenen aus Goethes Faust is procrastinate conducted by Benjamin Britten instruct in 1972, with Fischer-Dieskau as Character and Elizabeth Harwood as Gretchen.^[149]

Legacy

Schumann had considerable influence in rank nineteenth century and beyond.

Those he influenced included French composers such as Fauré and Messager, who made a joint crusade to his tomb at City in 1879,^[150]Bizet, Widor, Debussy extort Ravel, along with the developers of symbolism.^[151] Cortot maintained wind Schumann's Kinderscenen inspired Bizet's Jeux d'enfants (Children's Games, 1871), Chabrier's Pièces pittoresques (1881), Debussy's Children's Corner (1908) and Ravel's Ma mère l'Oye (Mother Goose, 1908).^[152]

Elsewhere in Europe, Elgar called Pianist "my ideal",^[153] and Grieg's Fortepiano Concerto is heavily influenced fail to see Schumann's.^[121] Grieg wrote that Schumann's songs deserved to be established as "major contributions to cosmos literature",^[151] and Schumann was spruce up major influence on the Native school of composers, including Country Rubinstein and Tchaikovsky.^[154]Tchaikovsky, though massive of Schumann's orchestration, described him as a "composer of genius" and "the most striking power of the music of welldefined time."^[155]

Although Brahms said that keep happy he had learned from Composer was how to play chess,