Robert Alexander Schumann (1810-1856) was born in Zwickau,
Saxony, the fifth and youngest child of the family, on June 8th,
1810. His father, August Schumann, was a bookseller, publisher and novelist and
was highly influential in developing young Robert's admiration for literature.
In fact, his time was spent almost equally between music and literature. While
in school, he studied the German poet-philosophers Friedrich Schiller and
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, as well as the English poet Byron, though his
greatest literary influence was the German novelist Jean Paul.
At the age of seven, Schumann began studying music with an
instructor at the Zwickau high school and it was not long before he tried his
hand at composition. Though unprincipled and certainly unskilled in technique,
Schumann nevertheless displayed an early talent for capturing emotions in
melody and even portraying the dispositions of his friends. However, Schumann's
growing aspirations in music were abruptly cut short when his father died when
he was 16. Neither his mother or legal guardian took an interest in furthering
his musical development and Schumann, like so many musicians before him,
resigned to studying law. In 1828, he left home for Leipzig and then for
Heidelberg to study law.
In 1830, Schumann abandoned his law studies for music and
returned the Leipzig to study under Friedrich Wieck. It was during this time,
however, that Schumann injured his right hand, dashing any hopes he had of a
career as a concert pianist. He, then, turned his efforts fully upon
composition and began studying music theory under Heinrich Dorn, a composer and
conductor of the Leipzig opera. Immediately, Schumann began to forge his
musical and literary influences. Until 1840, he composed almost exclusively for
the piano and many of these works bore strong literary references, among them Papillons,
op. 2, a musical portrayal of a masquerade ball in Jean Paul's novel Flegeljahre,
and Kreisleriana, based on E.T.A. Hoffman's character Johannes
Kreisler.
During these years, Schumann also invented his alter egos,
Florestan and Eusebius, most likely influenced by Vult and Valt from Flegeljahre.
Florestan was passionate and sometimes brash while Eusebius was dreamy and
introspective. In 1831, Schumann published is first criticism, an essay on
Chopin's variations on a theme from Mozart's Don Giovanni. In it and in
later essays, Schumann discusses his subject from the vantage points of his
characters, Florestan and Eusebius. In 1834, he began the Die Neue Zeitschrift
für Musik (The New Journal of Music). This journal became the vehicle for
Schumann's critical writings and his means of both reviving interest in past
composers, such as Mozart and Beethoven, as well as promoting up-and-coming
talents.
In 1840, after a long battle with his old teacher, Wieck,
Schumann married Wieck's daughter, Clara. The same year also saw Schumann break
out into other genres of music. Over 130 songs were composed in 1840 alone and
has since come to be known as Schumann's "Year of Song." He quickly then
expanded into chamber music, as well as orchestral music effectively taking on
the mantle of leading German symphonist left unclaimed after Beethoven.
By 1850, however, Schumann began to show signs of mental
breakdown. He continued to compose, though there is much debate over the
quality of Schumann's work from his last years. It would seem, though, that
there was one great thing left for Schumann to do. On September 30th,
1853, a young, unknown composer by the name of Johannes Brahms knocked
unannounced on the Schumann's door carrying nothing but a letter of
introduction from the violinist Joseph Joachim and a few of his own
compositions. Though Robert was not at home, Brahms returned the next day.
Robert and Clara were both astounded by the talents of the young musician and
took Brahms into their own home. Schumann, quite to Brahms's dismay, then
published an article (his first in many years) titled "Neue Bahnen" ("New
Paths") announcing Brahms as the "Chosen One." Though it would be several years
before Brahms realized Schumann's expectations of him, Schumann nevertheless
launched the career of one of the 19th century's last great masters.
By the following year, Schumann's symptoms worsened. He now
believed himself to be hearing the voices of angels and of deceased composers
dictating melodies to him. In February of that year, fearing he would cause
harm to his wife Clara, he attempted to suicide by throwing himself in the
Rhine. He was rescued by boatmen and requested himself that he be put in an
asylum for the insane. Schumann remained in an asylum in Bonn until his death
on July 29th, 1856.
Robert Schumann
Biography
Robert Alexander Schumann (1810-1856) was born in Zwickau, Saxony, the fifth and youngest child of the family, on June 8th, 1810. His father, August Schumann, was a bookseller, publisher and novelist and was highly influential in developing young Robert's admiration for literature. In fact, his time was spent almost equally between music and literature. While in school, he studied the German poet-philosophers Friedrich Schiller and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, as well as the English poet Byron, though his greatest literary influence was the German novelist Jean Paul.At the age of seven, Schumann began studying music with an instructor at the Zwickau high school and it was not long before he tried his hand at composition. Though unprincipled and certainly unskilled in technique, Schumann nevertheless displayed an early talent for capturing emotions in melody and even portraying the dispositions of his friends. However, Schumann's growing aspirations in music were abruptly cut short when his father died when he was 16. Neither his mother or legal guardian took an interest in furthering his musical development and Schumann, like so many musicians before him, resigned to studying law. In 1828, he left home for Leipzig and then for Heidelberg to study law.
In 1830, Schumann abandoned his law studies for music and returned the Leipzig to study under Friedrich Wieck. It was during this time, however, that Schumann injured his right hand, dashing any hopes he had of a career as a concert pianist. He, then, turned his efforts fully upon composition and began studying music theory under Heinrich Dorn, a composer and conductor of the Leipzig opera. Immediately, Schumann began to forge his musical and literary influences. Until 1840, he composed almost exclusively for the piano and many of these works bore strong literary references, among them Papillons, op. 2, a musical portrayal of a masquerade ball in Jean Paul's novel Flegeljahre, and Kreisleriana, based on E.T.A. Hoffman's character Johannes Kreisler.
During these years, Schumann also invented his alter egos, Florestan and Eusebius, most likely influenced by Vult and Valt from Flegeljahre. Florestan was passionate and sometimes brash while Eusebius was dreamy and introspective. In 1831, Schumann published is first criticism, an essay on Chopin's variations on a theme from Mozart's Don Giovanni. In it and in later essays, Schumann discusses his subject from the vantage points of his characters, Florestan and Eusebius. In 1834, he began the Die Neue Zeitschrift für Musik (The New Journal of Music). This journal became the vehicle for Schumann's critical writings and his means of both reviving interest in past composers, such as Mozart and Beethoven, as well as promoting up-and-coming talents.
In 1840, after a long battle with his old teacher, Wieck, Schumann married Wieck's daughter, Clara. The same year also saw Schumann break out into other genres of music. Over 130 songs were composed in 1840 alone and has since come to be known as Schumann's "Year of Song." He quickly then expanded into chamber music, as well as orchestral music effectively taking on the mantle of leading German symphonist left unclaimed after Beethoven.
By 1850, however, Schumann began to show signs of mental breakdown. He continued to compose, though there is much debate over the quality of Schumann's work from his last years. It would seem, though, that there was one great thing left for Schumann to do. On September 30th, 1853, a young, unknown composer by the name of Johannes Brahms knocked unannounced on the Schumann's door carrying nothing but a letter of introduction from the violinist Joseph Joachim and a few of his own compositions. Though Robert was not at home, Brahms returned the next day. Robert and Clara were both astounded by the talents of the young musician and took Brahms into their own home. Schumann, quite to Brahms's dismay, then published an article (his first in many years) titled "Neue Bahnen" ("New Paths") announcing Brahms as the "Chosen One." Though it would be several years before Brahms realized Schumann's expectations of him, Schumann nevertheless launched the career of one of the 19th century's last great masters.
By the following year, Schumann's symptoms worsened. He now believed himself to be hearing the voices of angels and of deceased composers dictating melodies to him. In February of that year, fearing he would cause harm to his wife Clara, he attempted to suicide by throwing himself in the Rhine. He was rescued by boatmen and requested himself that he be put in an asylum for the insane. Schumann remained in an asylum in Bonn until his death on July 29th, 1856.