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CLARA WIECK SCHUMANN
Romantic
Era
Composer
1824-1896
Photo courtesy of http://www.mfiles.co.uk/composers/Robert-Schumann.htm
thearchetypalconnection.com
CLARA’S EARLY YEARS, 1819-1824
Clara Wieck was born in 1819 in
Liepzig, Germany, the second child of
Friedrich Wieck, a music teacher, and
Marianne Tromlitz Wieck, soprano.
Clara’s parents divorced when she
was five.
She went to live with her father and
rarely saw her mother, who moved to
Berlin.
CHILDHOOD, 1824-1828
Young Clara suspected of disabilities
Continually exposed to great musicians
of the day through her father, Friedrich
Friedrich initiated Clara’s lifelong habit
of journaling
Clara Wieck at the age of 8 years. Colored miniature on ivory by an unknown artist, about 1827, Robert Schumann House, Zwickau. Retrieved from http://kammerton.blogspot.com/
ADOLESCENCE 1829-1835
Educated primarily by her father at home
Performed first concert in 1829, at age 9
Began touring at age 11, composing at age
12
Drawing of Clara Wieck by Elwine von Leysesr, 1835, retrieved from Geneva.edu Lithograph of Clara Wieck by Eduard Fechner, 1832
In Paris at age 13Age 16
COURTSHIP OF ROBERT AND CLARA, 1835-1840
“…I want to lead a life free from
worry and can see that I would be
unhappy if I could not always be
working with my art…Robert…Are
you in a position to offer me a life
free from care? Consider that
though I have been brought up
simply, I have never had a care.
Must I bury my art now? Love is all
very beautiful, but, but—“ (Reich,
2001)
Clara Awarded the title Royal
Imperial Virtuosa by emperor of
Austria in 1838
MARRIAGE & BABIES, BABIES, BABIES, 1841-
1854
Marie, 1841
Elsie, 1843
Julie, 1845
Emil, 1846
Ludwig, 1848
Ferdinand,
1849
Eugenie, 1851
Felix, 1854
INTERNAL MOMMY WARS
“A woman must not wish to
compose – there never was one able
to do it. Am I intended to be the one?
It would be arrogant to believe that…
May Robert always create; that must
always make me happy.” ( as quoted in Reich,
2001)Photograph of Elsie, Ludwig, Felix, Ferdinand, and Eugenie. Taken in approximately 1855, courtesy of geneva.edu
DRESDEN, 1844-1849
Clara, seven months pregnant with Ferdinand,
heroically evacuated family during 1849 uprising.
http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/history/1848/revolution_of_1848.html
DUESELDORFF, 1850-1857
1850 - Robert obtained job as music director and
finally made more money than Clara
They met Johannes Brahms here in 1853
http://www.classical-composers.org/comp/schumanr
One of the Shumann homes in Dusseldorf
F R I E N D S H I P W I T H J O H A N N E S B R A H M S, 1 8 5 3 -
1 8 9 6
Robert promoted Brahms by writing about him
Clara promoted Brahms by playing his compositions at her
concerts
Brahms remained a close friend of both Schumanns until
their deaths
No proof of romance between Johannes and Clara
Johannes Brahms at approximately 21 years, Creative Commons
LATE MARRIAGE
Robert’s health continued to decline, he attempted
suicide, and asked to be placed in a mental hospital
Clara continued to work
Robert died after two years in the hospital
The asylum Robert where spent his last years still stands.
Photos retrieved from http://www.coindumusicien.com/Schumann/folie_anglais.html
Clara in approximately 1853
POST MARRIAGE
Continued to promote and play Robert’s compositions
Never wrote another piece of music
Never remarried
Clara in her later years, creative commons
CLARA’S DEATH, MAY 20, 1896
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=1147&PIpi=91659 courtesy of Werner Farwick
PIANO CONCERT IN A MINOR, OP 7-1
TRIO IN G MINOR,OP 17-4
0:00 Violins, cello, and piano play melody together0:22 Repeat0:53 Piano gradually gets louder and takes over for the next thirty seconds1:09 Strings rejoin1:25 Brief piano solo, then string rejoin softly1:55 Becomes more moody, forte2:18 Theme repeats, but more moody, insistent, with strings imitating the piano’s bold notes2:57 Gentleness returns3:24 Melody same, but angrier tone, piano plays quickly, precisely, and bows bang quickly down on
strings
3:48 Brief piano solo returns piece to lovely, gently melody3:55 Repeat of gently theme at beginning and repeats4:31 Piano loud4:48 insistent5:01 Sounds like a quiet conversation between instruments5:18 Brief piano solo, then violins featured, then all three play together in harmony5:40 Piano sounds important, argues with violin5:55 Strings sound angry6:20 Theme played repeatedly, faster each time6:45 Sounds like the end of the song with violins insisting that it’s over6:50 Last words hurled by piano, then strings
WORKS CONSULTED
Machlis, K. F. (2007). The Enjoyment of Music, tenth shorter ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Co.
Ostwald, P. (1993). The Marriage Diaries of Robert & Clara Schumann. Boston: Northeastern University Press.
Piano Society. (2004). Clara Schumann. Retrieved February 19, 2012, from Piano Society: http://pianosociety.com/cms/index.php?section=1350
Polmear, J. (2012, January). Clara Schumann. Retrieved February 19, 2012, from Women of Note: http://oboeclassics.com/~oboe3583/ambache/wSchumann.htm
Reich, N. B. (2001). Clara Schumann, the Artist and the Woman. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
Schumann, C. (Composer). (2009). Clara Schumann: Piano Concerto, Piano Trio & 3 Romances. [B. S. Orchestra, V. Jochum, Performers, & J. Silverstein, Conductor] Zurich, Switzerland.