CLARA WIECK SCHUMANN Romantic Era Composer Photo courtesy of composers/Robert-Schumann.htm thearchetypalconnection.com

CLARA’S EARLY YEARS,  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,  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

ADOLESCENCE  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 13 Age 16

COURTSHIP OF ROBERT AND CLARA,  “…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,  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,  Clara, seven months pregnant with Ferdinand, heroically evacuated family during 1849 uprising.

DUESELDORFF,  Robert obtained job as music director and finally made more money than Clara  They met Johannes Brahms here in One of the Shumann homes in Dusseldorf

FRIENDSHIP WITH JOHANNES BRAHMS,  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 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, courtesy of Werner Farwick

PIANO CONCERT IN A MINOR, OP 7-1

TRIO IN G MINOR,OP :00Violins, cello, and piano play melody together 0:22Repeat 0:53Piano gradually gets louder and takes over for the next thirty seconds 1:09Strings rejoin 1:25Brief piano solo, then string rejoin softly 1:55Becomes more moody, forte 2:18Theme repeats, but more moody, insistent, with strings imitating the piano’s bold notes 2:57Gentleness returns 3:24 Melody same, but angrier tone, piano plays quickly, precisely, and bows bang quickly down on strings 3:48Brief piano solo returns piece to lovely, gently melody 3:55Repeat of gently theme at beginning and repeats 4:31Piano loud 4:48insistent 5:01Sounds like a quiet conversation between instruments 5:18Brief piano solo, then violins featured, then all three play together in harmony 5:40Piano sounds important, argues with violin 5:55Strings sound angry 6:20Theme played repeatedly, faster each time 6:45Sounds like the end of the song with violins insisting that it’s over 6:50Last 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: Polmear, J. (2012, January). Clara Schumann. Retrieved February 19, 2012, from Women of Note: 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.