THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF ROBERT SCHUMANN
Allan Schiller and I had put together a presentation of the above for Let’s Talk, but covid restrictions prevented that so our editor Paul has asked me to reproduce a taste of the narrative I had prepared. This is very much a condensed version and I suppose the question arises - what made me choose Robert Schumann? Well, I have to confess he is not amongst my favourite composers, but I became so moved by Allan’s beautiful and sensitive performances of his music, that I had to learn more of the man. And of course, the more I listened to his compositions the more I realised what an amazing composer he was. He was born in Saxony in 1810, towards the end of the Napoleonic wars. His father was a bookseller, writer and something of an uninspired intellectual, but he died when Robert was just sixteen. Robert was one of five children and in his early years displayed a talent for literature and music. By the age of seventeen he had devoured Latin and Greek classics and was influenced by and friendly with the poet Jean Paul Richter. He struck up a love for the piano and the songs of Franz Schubert. His mother was keen for him to have a career in law and he went to the Leipzig law school, where he was far from happy, and it led to a fiery conflict with his mother. He was strong willed, self-centred and his life at that time was directed more towards champagne and pretty women than law. Despite being a spendthrift and, it seems, several love affairs, he suffered bouts of melancholy and frequently requested his mother for more money. Eventually he abandoned his law studies, but continued his music lessons under Frederick Wieck at whose home he was boarding. There was an added attraction at that residence, namely Frederick’s lovely and highly talented daughter Clara. But Robert’s future was precarious to say the least. He wanted to compose but worked endlessly to perfect his playing technique, and his mind continued to fluctuate between ecstasy and despair. His incessant practising resulted in a strain upon his fingers and at the age of twenty two, this limited the time he could spend at the keyboard, so he needed to concentrate on composing. About this time, he gained some income as a music critic and also enjoyed friendships with Chopin and Mendelssohn. Clara was about 6 years younger than Robert, but they became very attracted to each other. She was already a highly gifted musician, and as a distinguished pianist, would depart on concert tours to Leipzig. Despite other flirtations on both sides, their love for each other blossomed. Her father, however, was adamantly against their marriage. Nevertheless, they married, but not without a sad but successful lawsuit against her father. They lived together for fourteen years, in the early part of which Robert was overshadowed by her fame and talent. She composed an impressive repertoire of songs and instrumental music, and the balance between a devoted inspirational wife with a highly acknowledged talent in her own right, could not have been an easy one. But they were a devoted and deeply loving pair and had eight children, some of whom did not live long. Several successful musicians of the time kept in touch with them. He and Clara lived in Leipzig, but left for a time when the 1848 rebellion occurred, after which they returned. Added to his mental distress was the burden of poverty, but he managed to acquire various musical posts with modest remuneration. He was described at one stage as a man of too much genius and too little talent. Whilst often nervous, he was excited too, with an over-fertile brain. It was during unnerving months that he wrote his noble fourth symphony in D minor. It seems his music would not let him rest. They enjoyed their fourteenth wedding anniversary, when he played a group of songs which he dedicated to Clara. It was a happy time for them both, but his mental torments continued, verging 39
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