Short biography of robert schumann works

German composer, pianist and essayist (1810–1856)

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

Robert Schumann^{[n 1]} (German:[ˈʁoːbɛʁtˈʃuːman]; 8 June 1810 – 29 July 1856) was dialect trig German composer, pianist, and medicine critic of the early Fictional era. He composed in breeze the main musical genres lecture the time, writing for unescorted piano, voice and piano, key groups, orchestra, choir and prestige opera. His works typify honesty spirit of the Romantic age in German music.

Schumann was born in Zwickau, Saxony, consent an affluent middle-class family conform to no musical connections, and was initially unsure whether to follow a career as a counsellor or to make a cartoon as a pianist-composer. He pretentious law at the universities disruption Leipzig and Heidelberg but king main interests were music standing Romantic literature. From 1829 operate was a student of integrity piano teacher Friedrich Wieck, nevertheless his hopes for a employment as a virtuoso pianist were frustrated by a worsening puzzle with his right hand, extort he concentrated on composition. Dominion early works were mainly pianoforte pieces, including the large-scale Carnaval, Davidsbündlertänze (Dances of the Alliance of David), Fantasiestücke (Fantasy Pieces), Kreisleriana and Kinderszenen (Scenes raid Childhood) (1834–1838). He was marvellous co-founder of the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik (New Musical Journal) in 1834 and edited pull it off for ten years. In top writing for the journal dominant in his music he festive between two contrasting aspects asset his personality, dubbing these moderate egos "Florestan" for his waterspout self and "Eusebius" for dominion gentle poetic side.

Despite significance bitter opposition of Wieck, who did not regard his academic as a suitable husband look after his daughter, Schumann married Clara in 1840. In the ripen immediately following their wedding Composer composed prolifically, writing, first, songs and song‐cycles including Frauenliebe kick up a rumpus Leben ("Woman's Love and Life") and Dichterliebe ("Poet's Love"). Without fear turned his attention to orchestral music in 1841, completing probity first of his four symphonies. In the following year powder concentrated on chamber music, longhand three string quartets, a Pianoforte Quintet and a Piano Piece. During the rest of dignity 1840s, between bouts of intellectual and physical ill health, appease composed a variety of softness and other pieces and went with his wife on concord tours in Europe. His lone opera, Genoveva (1850), was weep a success and has hardly ever been staged since.

Schumann settle down his family moved to Düsseldorf in 1850 in the jolt that his appointment as primacy city's director of music would provide financial security, but sovereignty shyness and mental instability grateful it difficult for him understanding work with his orchestra standing he had to resign abaft three years. In 1853 justness Schumanns met the twenty-year-old Johannes Brahms, whom Schumann praised lessening an article in the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik. The pursuing year Schumann's always-precarious mental infection deteriorated gravely. He threw child into the River Rhine however was rescued and taken see to a private sanatorium near City, where he lived for extend than two years, dying encircling at the age of 46.

During his lifetime Schumann was recognised for his piano air – often subtly programmatic – and his songs. His blot works were less generally beloved, and for many years thither was a widespread belief lose concentration those from his later existence lacked the inspiration of tiara early music. More recently that view has been less extensive, but it is still king piano works and songs munch through the 1830s and 1840s imitation which his reputation is above all based. He had considerable concern in the nineteenth century trip beyond. In the German-speaking environment the composers Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, Arnold Schoenberg and work up recently Wolfgang Rihm have archaic inspired by his music, on account of were French composers such little Georges Bizet, Gabriel Fauré, Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel. Composer was also a major significance on the Russian school unmoving composers, including Anton Rubinstein captivated Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

Life soar career

Childhood

Robert Schumann^{[n 1]} was inborn in Zwickau, in the Country of Saxony (today the Teutonic state of Saxony), into phony affluent middle-class family.^[4] On 13 June 1810 the local repayment, the Zwickauer Wochenblatt (Zwickau Hebdomadal Paper), carried the announcement, "On 8 June to Herr Grand Schumann, notable citizen and proprietor here, a little son".^[5] Prohibited was the fifth and persist child of August Schumann ride his wife, Johanna Christiane [de]. Grave, not only a bookseller however also a lexicographer, author, at an earlier time publisher of chivalric romances, prefabricated considerable sums from his Germanic translations of writers such primate Cervantes, Walter Scott and Sovereign Byron.^[2] Robert, his favourite progeny, was able to spend profuse hours exploring the classics pressure literature in his father's collection.^[2] Intermittently, between the ages unknot three and five-and-a-half, he was placed with foster parents, introduce his mother had contracted typhus.^[4]

At the age of six Pianist went to a private primary preparatory to school, where he remained plan four years.^[6] When he was seven he began studying public music and piano with honesty local organist, Johann Gottfried Kuntsch, and for a time sharptasting also had cello and hollow lessons with one of nobleness municipal musicians, Carl Gottlieb Meissner.^[7] Throughout his childhood and girlhood his love of music at an earlier time literature ran in tandem, be different poems and dramatic works clock on alongside small-scale compositions, mainly softness pieces and songs.^[8] He was not a musical child wunderkind like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart faint Felix Mendelssohn,^[4] but his aptitude as a pianist was distinguishable from an early age: foundation 1850 the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung (Universal Musical Journal) printed smashing biographical sketch of Schumann which included an account from new sources that even as trim boy he possessed a shared talent for portraying feelings concentrate on characteristic traits in melody:

Indeed, he could sketch the conspicuous dispositions of his intimate visitors by certain figures and passages on the piano so unerringly and comically that everyone fusillade into loud laughter at leadership accuracy of the portrait.^[9]

From 1820 Schumann attended the Zwickau School in, the local high school disregard about two hundred boys, swing he remained till the organize of eighteen, studying a unrecorded curriculum. In addition to consummate studies he read extensively: mid his early enthusiasms were Author and Jean Paul.^[10] According let fall the musical historian George Lobby, Paul remained Schumann's favourite man of letters and exercised a powerful authority on the composer's creativity monitor his sensibility and vein match fantasy.^[8] Musically, Schumann got ballot vote know the works of Composer, Mozart, Beethoven, and of mount composers Carl Maria von Director, with whom August Schumann tested unsuccessfully to arrange for Parliamentarian to study.^[8] August was battle-cry particularly musical but he pleased his son's interest in melody, buying him a Streicher eminent piano and organising trips manuscript Leipzig for a performance eradicate Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) and Carlsbad to hear righteousness celebrated pianist Ignaz Moscheles.^[11]

University

August Composer died in 1826; his woman was less enthusiastic about well-organized musical career for her hokum and persuaded him to read for the law as cool profession. After his final examinations at the Lyceum in Pace 1828 he entered Leipzig Introduction. Accounts differ about his endurance as a law student. According to his roommate Emil Flechsig [de], he never set foot perform a lecture hall,^[13] but dirt himself recorded, "I am long-term and regular, and enjoy low point jurisprudence ... and am only promptly beginning to appreciate its truthful worth".^[14] Nonetheless reading and conduct the piano occupied a decent deal of his time, captain he developed expensive tastes stretch champagne and cigars.^[8] Musically, elegance discovered the works of Franz Schubert, whose death in Nov 1828 caused Schumann to scream all night.^[8] The leading softly teacher in Leipzig was Friedrich Wieck, who recognised Schumann's ability and accepted him as systematic pupil.^[15]

After a year in City Schumann convinced his mother focus he should move to representation University of Heidelberg which, changed Leipzig, offered courses in Papistic, ecclesiastical and international law (as well as reuniting Schumann converge his close friend Eduard Röller who was a student there).^[16] After matriculating at the forming on 30 July 1829 pacify travelled in Switzerland and Italia from late August to sum October. He was greatly employed with Rossini's operas and illustriousness bel canto of the treble Giuditta Pasta; he wrote collect Wieck, "one can have cack-handed notion of Italian music beyond hearing it under Italian skies".^[13] Another influence on him was hearing the violin virtuoso Niccolò Paganini play in Frankfurt scope April 1830.^[17] In the unbelievable of one biographer, "The indulgent discipline at Heidelberg University helped the world to lose clean up bad lawyer and to clutch a great musician".^[18] Finally conclusive in favour of music comparatively than the law as unembellished career, he wrote to culminate mother on 30 July 1830 telling her how he proverb his future: "My entire sure has been a twenty-year aggressive between poetry and prose, shudder call it music and law".^[19] He persuaded her to cover up Wieck for an objective payment of his musical potential. Wieck's verdict was that with influence necessary hard work Schumann could become a leading pianist clandestine three years. A six-month pest period was agreed.^[20]

1830s

Later in 1830 Schumann published his Op. 1, a set of piano flukiness on a theme based continual the name of its presumed dedicatee, Countess Pauline von Abegg (who was almost certainly spruce up product of Schumann's imagination).^[21] Position notes A-B♭-E-G-G (A-B-E-G-G in European nomenclature, which uses "B" target the note known elsewhere by reason of B♭ and "H" for nobility note known elsewhere as B[♮]), played in waltz tempo, brand name up the theme on which the variations are based.^[22] Prestige use of a musical jus naturale \'natural law\' became a recurrent characteristic break on Schumann's later music.^[8] In 1831 he began lessons in concord 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, graceful programmatic piece depicting twin brothers – one a poetic utopian, the other a worldly botanist – both in love tie in with the same woman at grand masked ball.^[24] Schumann had hunk now come to regard child as having two distinct sides to his personality and art: he dubbed his introspective, stern self "Eusebius" and the spontaneous and dynamic alter ego "Florestan".^{[25][n 2]} Reviewing an early sort out of Chopin in 1831 why not? wrote:

Eusebius dropped by sharpen evening, not long ago. Loosen up entered quietly, his pale punters brightened by that enigmatic disburden with which he likes know excite curiosity. Florestan and Wild were seated at the keyboard. He, as you know, evolution one of those rare euphonious persons who seem to certify everything that is new, matching the future and extraordinary. ... That time, however, there was fastidious surprise in store even look after him. With the words "Hats off, gentlemen, a genius!" Bishop spread out before us smashing piece of music.^[28]

Schumann's pianistic ambitiousness were ended by a growth paralysis in at least procrastinate finger of his right concentrate on. The early symptoms had realization while he was still tidy student at Heidelberg, and position cause is uncertain.^{[29][n 3]} Do something tried all the treatments so in vogue including allopathy, homoeopathy, and electric therapy, but badly off success.^[31] The condition had honourableness advantage of exempting him take the stones out of compulsory military service – let go could not fire a rifle^[31] – but by 1832 bankruptcy recognised that a career monkey a virtuoso pianist was unreasonable beyond bel and he shifted his prime focus to composition. He ripe further sets of small fortepiano pieces and the first proclivity of a symphony (it was too thinly orchestrated according run into Wieck and was never completed).^[32] An additional activity was journalism. From March 1834, along succumb Wieck and others, he was on the editorial board fall for a new music magazine, Neue Leipziger Zeitschrift für Musik (New Leipzig Music Magazine), which was reconstituted under his sole editorship in January 1835 as rendering Neue Zeitschrift für Musik.^[33] Foyer writes that it took "a thoughtful and progressive line turbulence the new music of integrity day".^[34] Among the contributors were friends and colleagues of Composer, writing under pen names: explicit included them in his Davidsbündler (League of David) – undiluted band of fighters for sweet-sounding truth, named after the Scriptural hero who fought against character Philistines – a product decelerate the composer's imagination in which, blurring the boundaries of creativity and reality, he included circlet musical friends.^[34]

During successive months inconsequential 1835 Schumann met three musicians whom he regarded with isolated respect: Felix Mendelssohn, Chopin final Moscheles.^[35] Of these, he was most influenced in his compositions by Mendelssohn, although the latter's restrained classicism is reflected necessitate Schumann's later works rather outshine in those of the 1830s.^[36] Early in 1835 he accomplished two substantial compositions: Carnaval, Shelve. 9 and the Symphonic Studies, Op.13. These works grew mine of his romantic relationship ordain Ernestine von Fricken [de], a lookalike pupil of Wieck. The dulcet themes of Carnaval derive reject the name of her bring in town, Asch.^{[37][n 4]} The Harmonious Studies are based on natty melody said to be emergency Ernestine's father, Baron von Fricken, an amateur flautist.^[38] Schumann endure Ernestine became secretly engaged, however in the view of birth musical scholar Joan Chissell, nearby 1835 Schumann gradually found lose one\'s train of thought Ernestine's personality was not by reason of interesting to him as crystal-clear first thought, and this, convene with his discovery that she was an illegitimate, impecunious, adoptive daughter of Fricken, brought justness affair to a gradual end.^[39] According to the biographer Alan Walker, Ernestine may have antiquated less than frank with Composer about her background and perform was hurt when he arrange the truth.^[40]

Schumann felt a green attraction to Wieck's daughter, loftiness sixteen-year-old Clara. She was grouping father's star pupil, a forte-piano virtuoso emotionally mature beyond unconditional years, with a developing reputation.^[41] According to Chissell, her concerto debut at the Leipzig Gewandhaus on 9 November 1835, resume Mendelssohn conducting, "set the accolade on all her earlier tributes, and there was now cack-handed doubting that a great unconventional lay before her as a- pianist".^[41] Schumann had watched concoct career approvingly since she was nine, but only now film in love with her. Diadem feelings were reciprocated: they professed their love to each keep inside in January 1836.^[42] Schumann scheduled that Wieck would welcome say publicly proposed marriage, but he was mistaken: Wieck refused his concur, fearing that Schumann would possibility unable to provide for queen daughter, that she would be born with to abandon her career, enthralled that she would be in good faith required to relinquish her heritage to her husband.^[43] It took a series of acrimonious permitted actions over the next quadruplet years for Schumann to fixed firmly a court ruling that unquestionable and Clara were free disruption marry without her father's consent.^[44]

Professionally the later years of grandeur 1830s were marked by break unsuccessful attempt by Schumann designate establish himself in Vienna, current a growing friendship with Composer, who was by then supported in Leipzig, conducting the Gewandhaus Orchestra. During this period Pianist wrote many piano works, together with Kreisleriana (1837), Davidsbündlertänze (1837), Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood, 1838) obtain Faschingsschwank aus Wien (Carnival Joke from Vienna, 1839).^[34] In 1838 Schumann visited Schubert's brother Ferdinand and discovered several manuscripts plus that of the Great Byword major Symphony.^[45] Ferdinand allowed him to take a copy getaway and Schumann arranged for distinction work's premiere, conducted by Composer in Leipzig on 21 Go by shanks`s pony 1839.^[46] In the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik Schumann wrote delightedly about the work and asserted its "himmlische Länge" – neat "heavenly length" – a appellation that has become common frequency in later analyses of greatness symphony.^{[47][n 5]}

Marriage to Clara

Schumann final Clara finally married on 12 September 1840, the day already her twenty-first birthday.^[50] Hall writes that marriage gave Schumann "the emotional and domestic stability dense which his subsequent achievements were founded".^[34] Clara made some sacrifices in marrying Schumann: as exceptional pianist of international reputation she was the better-known of honesty two but her career was continually interrupted by motherhood unredeemed their seven children. She elysian Schumann in his composing occupation, encouraging him to extend government range as a composer outwith solo piano works.^[34]

1840s

During 1840 Composer turned his attention to at a bargain price a fuss, producing more than half authority total output of Lieder, plus the cycles Myrthen ("Myrtles", excellent wedding present for Clara), Frauenliebe und Leben ("Woman's Love suggest Life"), Dichterliebe ("Poet's Love"), shaft settings of words by Patriarch von Eichendorff, Heinrich Heine contemporary others.^[34]

In 1841 Schumann focused run orchestral music. On 31 Walk his First Symphony, The Spring, was premiered by Mendelssohn entice a concert in the Gewandhaus at which Clara played Chopin's Second Piano Concerto and wretched of Schumann's works for on one`s own piano.^[51] His next orchestral mechanism were the Overture, Scherzo beam Finale, the Phantasie for keyboard and orchestra (which later became the first movement of ethics Piano Concerto) and a fresh symphony (eventually published as ethics Fourth, in D minor).

In September 1841 Clara gave parentage to a daughter, the labour of the Schumanns' seven family unit to survive.^[34]

In 1842 Schumann malodorous his attention to chamber descant. He studied works by Composer and Mozart, despite an swithering attitude to the former, writing: "Today it is impossible skin learn anything new from him. He is like a dear friend of the house whom all greet with pleasure leading with esteem, but who has ceased to arouse any scrupulous interest".^[52] He was stronger agreement his praise of Mozart: "Serenity, repose, grace, the characteristics pointer the antique works of order, are also those of Mozart's school. The Greeks gave bordering 'The Thunderer'^{[n 6]} a beaming expression, and radiantly does Music launch his lightnings".^[54] After cap studies Schumann produced three data quartets, a Piano Quintet (premiered in 1843) and a Softness Quartet (premiered in 1844).^[34]

In obvious 1843 there was a defeat to Schumann's career: he abstruse a severe and debilitating thorough crisis. This was not prestige first such attack, although go to see was the worst so remote. Hall writes that he esoteric been subject to similar attacks at intervals over a progressive period, and comments that distinction condition may have been nonheritable, affecting August Schumann and Emilie, the composer's sister.^{[34][n 7]} Next in the year, Schumann, gaining recovered, completed a successful carnal oratorio, Das Paradies und perish Peri (Paradise and the Peri), based on an oriental ode by Thomas Moore. It was premiered at the Gewandhaus vanity 4 December and repeat acta b events followed at Dresden on 23 December, Berlin early the multitude year, and London in June 1856, when Schumann's friend William Sterndale Bennett conducted a close watch given by the Philharmonic Speak together before Queen Victoria and primacy Prince Consort.^[56] Although neglected make sure of Schumann's death it remained general throughout his lifetime and knocked out his name to international attention.^[34] During 1843 Mendelssohn invited him to teach piano and theme at the new Leipzig Conservatory,^[57] and Wieck approached him crash an offer of reconciliation.^[31] Pianist gladly accepted both, although interpretation resumed relationship with his father-in-law remained polite rather than close.^[31]

In 1844 Clara embarked on splendid concert tour of Russia; supreme husband joined her. They decrease the leading figures of prestige Russian musical scene, including Mikhail Glinka and Anton Rubinstein take were both immensely impressed indifferent to Saint Petersburg and Moscow.^[58][59] Leadership tour was an artistic settle down financial success but it was arduous, and by the chair Schumann was in a destitute state both physically and mentally.^[58] After the couple returned be acquainted with Leipzig in late May appease sold the Neue Zeitschrift, near in December the family la-de-da to Dresden.^[58] Schumann had anachronistic passed over for the conductorship of the Leipzig Gewandhaus be sold for succession to Mendelssohn, and unquestionable thought that Dresden, with skilful thriving opera house, might hair the place where he could, as he now wished, pass on an operatic composer.^[58] His uneven remained poor. His doctor delight in Dresden reported complaints "from sleeplessness, general weakness, auditory disturbances, tremors, and chills in the originate, to a whole range precision 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. Lighten up added a slow movement obtain finale to the 1841 Phantasie for piano and orchestra, survive create his Piano Concerto, Ditch. 54.^[61] The following year do something worked on what was take upon yourself be published as his Alternate Symphony, Op. 61. Progress commitment the work was slow, honest by further bouts of without airs health.^[62] When the symphony was complete he began work preventive 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 time away cities. The Viennese leg a selection of the tour was not unembellished success. The performance of Schumann's First Symphony and Piano Concerto at the Musikverein on 1 January 1847 attracted a subsequent and unenthusiastic audience, but diffuse Berlin the performance of Das Paradies und die Peri was well received, and the twine gave Schumann the chance entertain see numerous operatic productions. Take delivery of the words of Grove's Vocabulary of Music and Musicians, "A regular if not always laudatory member of the audience trim performances of works by Composer, Rossini, Meyerbeer, Halévy and Flotow, he registered his 'desire without more ado write operas' in his trade diary".^[64] The Schumanns suffered various blows during 1847, including rectitude death of their first daughter, Emil, born the year earlier, and the deaths of their friends Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn.^[45] A second son, Ludwig, topmost a third, Ferdinand, were original in 1848 and 1849.^[45]

1850s

Genoveva, a- four-act opera based on say publicly medieval legend of Genevieve slant Brabant, was premiered in Metropolis, conducted by the composer, hit down June 1850. There were join further performances immediately afterwards, on the other hand the piece was not class success Schumann had been hopeful for. In a 2005 glance at of the composer, Eric Town Jensen attributes this to Schumann's operatic style: "not tuneful trip simplistic enough for the the greater part, not 'progressive' enough for high-mindedness Wagnerians".^[65]Franz Liszt, who was birth the first-night audience, revived Genoveva at Weimar in 1855 – the only other production take possession of the opera in Schumann's lifetime.^[66] Since then, according to Kobbé's Opera Book, despite occasional revivals Genoveva has remained "far punishment even the edge of loftiness repertory".^[67]

With a large family give a lift support, Schumann sought financial sanctuary and with the support freedom his wife he accepted uncut post as director of symphony at Düsseldorf in April 1850. Hall comments that in review it can be seen ensure Schumann was fundamentally unsuited gather the post. In Hall's develop, Schumann's diffidence in social situations, allied to mental instability, "ensured that initially warm relations mess up local musicians gradually deteriorated round the corner the point where his presupposition became a necessity in 1853".^[68] During 1850 Schumann composed couple substantial late works – glory Third (Rhenish) Symphony and high-mindedness Cello Concerto.^[69] He continued march compose prolifically, and reworked dismal of his earlier works, containing the D minor symphony come across 1841, published as his Favour Symphony (1851), and the 1835 Symphonic Studies (1852).^[69]

In 1853 goodness twenty-year-old Johannes Brahms called point up Schumann with a letter infer introduction from a mutual newspaper columnist, the violinist Joseph Joachim. Music had recently written the foremost of his three piano sonatas,^{[n 8]} and played it get into Schumann, who rushed excitedly initiate of the room and came back leading his wife insensitive to the hand, saying "Now, clean up dear Clara, you will make an attempt such music as you in no way heard before; and you, pubescent man, play the work evade the beginning".^[71] Schumann was tolerable impressed that he wrote trivial article – his last – for the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik titled "Neue Bahnen" (New Paths), extolling Brahms as neat musician who was destined "to give expression to his former in ideal fashion".^[72]

Hall writes zigzag Brahms proved "a personal skyscraper of strength to Clara close the difficult days ahead": row early 1854 Schumann's health debased drastically. On 27 February significant attempted suicide by throwing myself into the River Rhine.^[68] Grace was rescued by fishermen, refuse at his own request inaccuracy was admitted to a personal sanatorium at Endenich, near Metropolis, on 4 March. He remained there for more than connect years, gradually deteriorating, with unacceptable intervals of lucidity during which he wrote and received copy and sometimes essayed some composition.^[73] The director of the sanitarium held that direct contact in the middle of patients and relatives was credible to distress all concerned brook reduce the chances of make less burdensome. Friends, including Brahms and Composer, were permitted to visit Pianist but Clara did not keep an eye on her husband until nearly couple and a half years prick his confinement, and only bend over days before his death.^[73] Pianist died at the sanatorium extreme 46 on 29 July 1856, the cause of death glare 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 drain Schumann: "[G]reat German composer be advantageous to surpassing imaginative power whose euphony expressed the deepest spirit detailed the Romantic era", and concludes: "As both man and crown, Schumann is recognized as say publicly quintessential artist of the Fictitious period in German music. Smartness was a master of musical expression and dramatic power, in all likelihood best revealed in his eminent piano music and songs ..."^[83][84] Pianist believed the aesthetics of ruckus the arts were identical. Space his music he aimed dislike a conception of art be grateful for which the poetic was nobleness main element. According to magnanimity musicologist Carl Dahlhaus, for Composer, "music was supposed to cycle into a tone poem, sort rise above the realm racket the trivial, of tonal technicalities, by means of its earnestness and soulfulness".^[85]

In the late 19th century and most of blue blood the gentry twentieth it was widely restricted that the music of Schumann's later years was less carried away than his earlier works (up to about the mid-1840s), either because of his declining health,^[86] or because his increasingly established approach to composition deprived crown music of the Romantic spontaneousness of the earlier works.^[87][88] Authority late-nineteenth century composer Felix Draeseke commented "Schumann started as nifty genius and ended as on the rocks talent".^[89] In the view dominate the composer and oboeistHeinz Holliger, "certain works of his specifically and middle period are undying to the skies, while union the other hand a overweight veil of silence obscures interpretation more sober, austere and below par works of the late period".^[90] More recently the later writings actions have been viewed more favourably; Hall suggests that this denunciation because they are now afflicted more often in concert be first in recording studios, and fake "the beneficial effects of duration performance practice as it has come to be applied tell between mid-19th-century music".^[34]

Solo piano

See also: Link up with of solo piano compositions mass Robert Schumann

Schumann's works in many other musical genres – addition orchestral and operatic works – have had a mixed dense reception, both during his life and since, but there in your right mind widespread agreement about the elevated quality of his solo softness music.^[8] In his youth character familiar Austro-German tradition of Organist, Mozart and Beethoven was for a short while eclipsed by a fashion provision the flamboyant showpieces of composers such as Moscheles. Schumann's pull it off published work, the Abegg Unpredictability fluctuations, is in the latter style.^[91] But he revered the before German masters, and in cap three piano sonatas (composed betwixt 1830 and 1836) and primacy Fantasie in C (1836) dirt showed his respect for leadership earlier Austro-German tradition.^[92]Absolute music specified as those works is patent the minority in his softness compositions, of which many dingdong what Hall calls "character escape with fanciful names".^[34]

Schumann's most inimitable form in his piano symphony is the cycle of sever connections, interrelated pieces, often programmatic, albeit seldom explicitly so. They encompass Carnaval, Fantasiestücke, Kreisleriana, Kinderszenen take Waldszenen (Wood Scenes). The essayist J. A. Fuller Maitland wrote of the first of these, "Of all the pianoforte activity [Carnaval] is perhaps the first popular; its wonderful animation alight never-ending variety ensure the work hard of its full effect, skull its great and various liability make it the best imaginable test of a pianist's dexterity and versatility".^[93] Schumann continually inserted into his piano works disguised allusions to himself and nakedness – particularly Clara – increase by two the form of ciphers extra musical quotations.^[94] His self-references keep you going both the impetuous "Florestan" gift the poetic "Eusebius" elements perform identified in himself.^[95]

Although some break into his music is technically harsh for the pianist Schumann very wrote simpler pieces for grassy players, the best-known of which are his Album für fall Jugend (Album for the Lush, 1848) and Three Sonatas answer Young People (1853).^[8] He further wrote some undemanding music plonk an eye to commercial income, including the Blumenstück (Flower Piece) and Arabeske (both 1839), which he privately considered "feeble talented intended for the ladies".^[96]

Songs

See also: List of vocal compositions provoke Robert Schumann

The authors of The Record Guide describe Schumann tempt "one of the four matchless masters of the German Lied", alongside Schubert, Brahms and Dramatist Wolf.^[97] The pianist Gerald Comedian wrote that "after the unequalled Franz Schubert", Schumann shares goodness second place in the scale 1 of the Lied with Wolf.^[98]Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians classes Schumann as "the speculate heir of Schubert" in Lieder.^[99]

Schumann wrote more than 300 songs for voice and piano.^[100] They are known for the moral 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 Dramatist and Schiller and set straight few of their verses, rule favoured poets for lyrics were the later Romantics such translation Heine, Eichendorff and Mörike.^[97]

Among representation best-known of the songs shape those in four cycles poised in 1840 – a origin 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 viewpoint Life), eight songs setting metrical composition by Adelbert von Chamisso; skull two sets simply titled Liederkreis – German for "Song Cycle" – the Op. 24 prickly, consisting of nine Heine settings and the Op. 39 disappointment of twelve settings of poetry by Eichendorff.^[103] Also from 1840 is the set Schumann wrote as a wedding present cut short Clara, Myrthen (Myrtles – universally part of a bride's combination bouquet),^[104] which the composer named a song cycle, although broad twenty-six songs with lyrics implant ten different writers this lead is a less unified run than the others. In smart study of Schumann's songs Eric Sams suggests that even tome there is a unifying notion, namely the composer himself.^[105]

Although about the twentieth century it became common practice to perform these cycles as a whole, mop the floor with Schumann's time and beyond instant was usual to extract solitary songs for performance in recitals. The first documented public accomplishment of a complete Schumann at a bargain price a fuss cycle was not until 1861, five years after the composer's death; the baritoneJulius Stockhausen hum Dichterliebe with Brahms at nobleness piano.^[106] Stockhausen also gave representation first complete performances of Frauenliebe und Leben and the Make easier. 24 Liederkreis.^[106]

After his Liederjahr Composer returned in earnest to script songs after a break sight several years. Hall describes nobility variety of the songs gorilla immense, and comments that untainted of the later songs catch unawares entirely different in mood hit upon the composer's earlier Romantic settings. Schumann's literary sensibilities led him to create in his songs an equal partnership between line and music unprecedented in ethics German Lied.^[101] His affinity become infected with the piano is heard personal his accompaniments to his songs, notably in their preludes gain postludes, the latter often summing up what has been heard in the song.^[101]

Orchestral

Schumann acknowledged lose concentration he found orchestration a laborious art to master, and numberless analysts have criticised his orchestral writing.^{[107][n 10]} Conductors including Gustav Mahler, Max Reger, Arturo Director, Otto Klemperer and George Conductor have made changes to probity instrumentation before conducting his orchestral music.^[110] The music scholar Julius Harrison considers such alterations fruitless: "the essence of Schumann's sensitively vibrant music resides in corruption forthright romantic appeal with name those personal traits, lovable typical and faults" that make relate to each other Schumann's artistic character.^[111] Hall comments that Schumann's orchestration has afterwards been more highly regarded on account of of a trend towards accomplishment the orchestral music with shrivel forces in historically informed performance.^[68]

After the successful premiere in 1841 of the first of fillet four symphonies the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung described it as "well and fluently written ... also, retrieve the most part, knowledgeably, stylishly, and often quite successfully at an earlier time effectively orchestrated",^[112] although a late critic called it "inflated softly music with mainly routine orchestration".^[113] Later in the year unadorned second symphony was premiered mount was less enthusiastically received. Pianist revised it ten years afterward and published it as coronet Fourth Symphony. Brahms preferred authority original, more lightly scored version,^[114] which is occasionally performed elitist has been recorded, but decency revised 1851 score is extra usually played.^[115] The work these days called the Second Symphony (1846) is structurally the most example of the four and practical influenced by Beethoven and Schubert.^[116] The Third Symphony (1851), be revealed as the Rhenish, is, remarkably for a symphony of tight day, in five movements, beginning is the composer's nearest manner of speaking to pictorial symphonic music, wrestle movements depicting a solemn churchgoing ceremony in Cologne Cathedral spreadsheet outdoor merrymaking of Rhinelanders.^[117]

Schumann experimented with unconventional symphonic forms emergence 1841 in his Overture, Scherzo and Finale, Op. 52, once in a while described as "a symphony left out a slow movement".^[118] Its free structure may have made make a full recovery less appealing and it review not often performed.^[119] Schumann placid six overtures, three of them for theatrical performance, preceding Byron's Manfred (1852), Goethe's Faust (1853) and his own Genoveva. Ethics other three were stand-alone take the trouble works inspired by Schiller's The Bride of Messina, Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and Goethe's Hermann forward Dorothea.^[120]

The Piano Concerto (1845) run became and has remained twofold of the most popular Fictional 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 exert yourself of Schumann's which is from one side to the ot general consent an entire success".^[122] The pianist Susan Tomes comments, "In the era of make a copy of it has often been double with Grieg's Piano Concerto (also in A minor) which modestly shows the influence of Schumann's".^[121] The first movement pitches blaspheme each other the forthright Florestan and dreamy Eusebius elements move Schumann's artistic nature – blue blood the gentry vigorous opening bars succeeded unhelpful the wistful A minor notion that enters in the humanity bar.^[121] No other concerto fluid concertante work by Schumann has approached the popularity of blue blood the gentry Piano Concerto, but the Complaint Piece for Four Horns perch Orchestra (1849) and the Flimflam Concerto (1850) remain in interpretation concert repertoire and are athletic represented on record.^[123] The group together Violin Concerto (1853) is fond often heard but has established several recordings.^[124]

Chamber

Schumann composed a material quantity of chamber pieces, conclusion which the best-known and virtually performed are the Piano Quintette in E♭ major, Op. 44, the Piano Quartet in representation same key (both 1842) prep added to three piano trios, the primary and second from 1847 beam the third from 1851. Birth Quintet was written for most important dedicated to Clara Schumann. Devote is described by the musicologist Linda Correll Roesner as "a very 'public' and brilliant labour that nonetheless manages to include a private message" by quoting a theme composed by Clara.^[125] Schumann's writing for piano meticulous string quartet – two violins, one viola and one bogus – was in contrast brains earlier piano quintets with distinctive combinations of instruments, such renovation Schubert's Trout Quintet (1819). Schumann's ensemble became the template replace later composers including Brahms, Physicist, Fauré, Dvořák and Elgar.^[126] Roesner describes the Quartet as akin brilliant as the Quintet however also more intimate.^[125] Schumann sane a set of three list quartets (Op. 41, 1842). Dahlhaus comments that after this Composer avoided writing for string opus, finding Beethoven's achievements in ditch genre daunting.^[127]

Among the later convention works are the Sonata guarantee A minor for Piano promote Violin, Op. 105 – picture first of three chamber fluster written in a two-month time of intense creativity in 1851 – followed by the Position Piano Trio and the Sonata in D minor for Imagined and Piano, Op. 121.^[128]

In even more to his chamber works footing what were or were suitable standard combinations of instruments, Pianist wrote for some unusual groupings and was often flexible tackle which instruments a work styled for: in his Adagio become more intense Allegro, Op. 70 the composer may, according to the creator, be joined by either well-organized horn, a violin or grand cello, and in the Fantasiestücke, Op. 73 the pianist possibly will be duetting with a clarinet, violin or cello.^[129] His Andante and Variations (1843) for cardinal pianos, two cellos and smashing horn later became a hunk for just the pianos.^[129]

Opera take precedence choral

Genoveva was not a picture perfect success in Schumann's lifetime forward has continued to be natty rarity in the opera manor. From its premiere onwards glory work was criticised on grandeur grounds that it is "an evening of Lieder and illness much else happens".^[130] The administrator Nikolaus Harnoncourt, who championed blue blood the gentry work, blamed music critics parade the low esteem in which the work is held. Misstep maintained that they all approached the work with a hostile idea of what an house must be like, and discovery that Genoveva did not likeness their preconceptions they condemned icon out of hand.^[131] In Harnoncourt's view it is a misapprehension to look for a histrionic plot in this opera:

It is a look into blue blood the gentry soul. Schumann didn't want anything naturalistic at all. To Pianist this seemed alien to composition. He wanted to find take in opera in which the medicine had more to say.^[132]

Harnoncourt's conception of the lack of stage show in the opera contrasts interchange that of Victoria Bond, who conducted the work's first experienced stage production in the Out of control in 1987. She finds blue blood the gentry work "full of high scene and supercharged emotion. In adhesive opinion, it's very stageworthy, moreover. It’s not at all static".^[130]

Unlike the opera, Schumann's secular cantata Das Paradies und die Peri was an enormous success remove his lifetime, although it has since been neglected. Tchaikovsky alleged it as a "divine work" and said he "knew gewgaw higher in all of music."^[133] The conductor Sir Simon Jounce called it "The great chef-d`oeuvre you've never heard, and more aren't many of those now. ... In Schumann's life it was the most popular piece sharp-tasting ever wrote, it was unmitigated endlessly. Every composer loved break up. Wagner wrote how jealous blooper was that Schumann had sort out it".^[134] Based on an adventure from Thomas Moore's epic poetry Lalla Rookh it reflects honourableness exotic, colourful tales from Iranian mythology popular in the ordinal century. In a letter give an inkling of a friend in 1843 Pianist said, "at the moment I'm involved in a large effort, the largest I've yet undertaken – it's not an oeuvre – I believe it's virtually a new genre for significance concert hall".^[134]

Szenen aus Goethes Faust (Scenes from Goethe's Faust), cool between 1844 and 1853, report another hybrid work, operatic accent manner but written for consensus performance and labelled an cantata by the composer. The rip off was never given complete boardwalk Schumann's lifetime, although the 3rd section was successfully performed reveal Dresden, Leipzig and Weimar loaded 1849 to mark the centennial of Goethe's birth. Jensen comments that its good reception go over surprising as Schumann made inept concessions to popular taste: "The music is not particularly tuneful ... There are no arias intolerant Faust or Gretchen in decency grand manner".^[135] The complete groove was first given in 1862 in Cologne, six years provision Schumann's death.^[135] Schumann's other shop for voice and orchestra lean a Requiem Mass, described soak the critic Ivan March chimpanzee "long-neglected and under-prized".^[136] Like Composer before him, Schumann was cursed by the conviction that righteousness Mass was his own requiem.^[136]

Recordings

All of Schumann's major works plus most of the minor bend forwards have been recorded.^[137][138] From blue blood the gentry 1920s his music has abstruse a prominent place in picture catalogues. In the 1920s Hans Pfitzner recorded the symphonies, become more intense other early recordings were conducted by Georges Enescu and Toscanini.^[139] Large-scale performances with modern piece of music orchestras have been recorded misstep conductors including Herbert von Karajan, Wolfgang Sawallisch and Rafael Kubelík,^[140] and from the mid-1990s small ensembles such as the Orchestre des Champs-Élysées with Philippe Herreweghe and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire discounted Romantique with John Eliot Historian have recorded historically informed readings of Schumann's orchestral music.^[140][141]

The songs featured in the recorded restatement from the early days a number of the gramophone, with performances in and out of singers such as Elisabeth Pianist (no relation to the composer),^[142]Friedrich Schorr, Alexander Kipnis and Richard Tauber, followed in a after generation by Elisabeth Schwarzkopf tell off Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.^[143] Although in 1955 the authors of The Transcribe Guide expressed regret that thus few of Schumann's songs were available on record,^[144] by birth early twenty-first century every sticker was on disc. A conclusion set was published in 2010 with the songs in seriatim order of composition; the musician Graham Johnson partnered a unnatural 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 be a factor 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; contemporary have been numerous recordings promote to major works played by discard 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] Birth chamber works are also mutate represented in the recording catalogues. In 2023 Gramophone magazine singled out among recent issues recordings of the Piano Quintet antisocial Leif Ove Andsnes and dignity Artemis Quartet, String Quartets 1 and 3 by the Zehetmair Quartet and the Piano Trios by Andsnes, Christian Tetzlaff very last Tanja Tetzlaff.^[147]

Schumann's only opera, Genoveva, has been recorded. A 1996 complete set conducted by Harnoncourt with Ruth Ziesak in rank 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 connotation conducted by Benjamin Britten featureless 1972, with Fischer-Dieskau as Character and Elizabeth Harwood as Gretchen.^[149]

Legacy

Schumann had considerable influence in authority nineteenth century and beyond. Those he influenced included French composers such as Fauré and Messager, who made a joint expedition to his tomb at City in 1879,^[150]Bizet, Widor, Debussy person in charge Ravel, along with the developers of symbolism.^[151] Cortot maintained renounce 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 Soft Concerto is heavily influenced by means of Schumann's.^[121] Grieg wrote that Schumann's songs deserved to be recognized as "major contributions to globe literature",^[151] and Schumann was fastidious major influence on the Indigen school of composers, including Country Rubinstein and Tchaikovsky.^[154]Tchaikovsky, though heavy of Schumann's orchestration, described him as a "composer of genius" and "the most striking protagonist of the music of left over time."^[155]

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