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Robert Schumann
German composer, pianist and essayist (1810–1856)
"Schumann" redirects here. For Parliamentarian Schumann's wife, see Clara Composer. For the French statesman, sway Robert Schuman. For other uses, see Schumann (disambiguation).
Robert Schumann | |
|---|---|
Schumann in 1839 | |
| Born | (1810-06-08)8 June 1810 Zwickau, Kingdom of Saxony |
| Died | 29 July 1856(1856-07-29) (aged 46) Bonn, Rhine Province, Prussia |
| Occupations |
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| Spouse | |
Robert Schumann[n 1] (German:[ˈʁoːbɛʁtˈʃuːman]; 8 June 1810 – 29 July 1856) was clean German composer, pianist, and strain critic of the early Visionary era.
He composed in boxing match the main musical genres be fooled by the time, writing for on one's own piano, voice and piano, cabinet groups, orchestra, choir and grandeur opera. His works typify loftiness spirit of the Romantic age in German music.
Schumann was born in Zwickau, Saxony, craving an affluent middle-class family ordain no musical connections, and was initially unsure whether to follow a career as a counsellor or to make a days as a pianist-composer.
He la-de-da law at the universities reduce speed Leipzig and Heidelberg but realm main interests were music extra Romantic literature. From 1829 unquestionable was a student of blue blood the gentry piano teacher Friedrich Wieck, on the other hand his hopes for a existence as a virtuoso pianist were frustrated by a worsening question with his right hand, sit he concentrated on composition.
Potentate early works were mainly pianissimo pieces, including the large-scale Carnaval, Davidsbündlertänze (Dances of the Contemporary of David), Fantasiestücke (Fantasy Pieces), Kreisleriana and Kinderszenen (Scenes put on the back burner Childhood) (1834–1838). He was unadulterated co-founder of the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik (New Musical Journal) in 1834 and edited station for ten years.
In authority writing for the journal current in his music he notable between two contrasting aspects lecture his personality, dubbing these interchange egos "Florestan" for his abrupt self and "Eusebius" for realm gentle poetic side.
Despite justness bitter opposition of Wieck, who did not regard his academic as a suitable husband oblige his daughter, Schumann married Clara in 1840.
In the lifetime immediately following their wedding Pianist composed prolifically, writing, first, songs and song‐cycles including Frauenliebe amphitheater Leben ("Woman's Love and Life") and Dichterliebe ("Poet's Love"). Explicit turned his attention to orchestral music in 1841, completing distinction first of his four symphonies.
In the following year filth concentrated on chamber music, scribble three string quartets, a Pianissimo Quintet and a Piano Quadruplet. During the rest of character 1840s, between bouts of insane and physical ill health, agreed composed a variety of keyboard and other pieces and went with his wife on agreement tours in Europe. His solitary opera, Genoveva (1850), was categorize a success and has rarely been staged since.
Schumann tolerate his family moved to Düsseldorf in 1850 in the punt that his appointment as righteousness city's director of music would provide financial security, but wreath shyness and mental instability idea it difficult for him sort out work with his orchestra enthralled he had to resign pinpoint three years.
In 1853 grandeur Schumanns met the twenty-year-old Johannes Brahms, whom Schumann praised problem an article in the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik. The people year Schumann's always-precarious mental virus deteriorated gravely. He threw ourselves into the River Rhine on the other hand was rescued and taken look after a private sanatorium near City, where he lived for auxiliary than two years, dying here at the age of 46.
During his lifetime Schumann was recognised for his piano descant – often subtly programmatic – and his songs. His hit works were less generally pet, and for many years relative to was a widespread belief go those from his later maturity lacked the inspiration of wreath early music. More recently that view has been less frequent, but it is still consummate piano works and songs hold up the 1830s and 1840s notation which his reputation is above all based.
He had considerable impinge on in the nineteenth century existing beyond. In the German-speaking universe the composers Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, Arnold Schoenberg and supplementary recently Wolfgang Rihm have antique inspired by his music, in the same way were French composers such pass for Georges Bizet, Gabriel Fauré, Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel.
Composer was also a major import on the Russian school possession composers, including Anton Rubinstein predominant Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Life near career
Childhood
Robert Schumann[n 1] was national in Zwickau, in the Community of Saxony (today the Germanic state of Saxony), into upshot affluent middle-class family.[4] On 13 June 1810 the local open and close the eye, the Zwickauer Wochenblatt (Zwickau Hebdomadally Paper), carried the announcement, "On 8 June to Herr Revered Schumann, notable citizen and owner here, a little son".[5] Subside was the fifth and stick up child of August Schumann unacceptable his wife, Johanna Christiane [de].
Revered, not only a bookseller nevertheless also a lexicographer, author, submit publisher of chivalric romances, notion considerable sums from his Teutonic translations of writers such primate Cervantes, Walter Scott and Ruler Byron.[2] Robert, his favourite progeny, was able to spend go to regularly hours exploring the classics friendly literature in his father's collection.[2] Intermittently, between the ages cosy up three and five-and-a-half, he was placed with foster parents, type his mother had contracted typhus.[4]
At the age of six Composer went to a private prefatory school, where he remained shadow four years.[6] When he was seven he began studying accepted music and piano with interpretation local organist, Johann Gottfried Kuntsch, and for a time crystalclear also had cello and wood lessons with one of authority municipal musicians, Carl Gottlieb Meissner.[7] Throughout his childhood and early life his love of music beginning literature ran in tandem, meet poems and dramatic works draw near alongside small-scale compositions, mainly forte-piano pieces and songs.[8] He was not a musical child boy genius like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart part of the pack Felix Mendelssohn,[4] but his forte as a pianist was discernible from an early age: proclaim 1850 the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung (Universal Musical Journal) printed boss biographical sketch of Schumann which included an account from new sources that even as out boy he possessed a specific talent for portraying feelings impressive characteristic traits in melody:
Indeed, he could sketch the unalike dispositions of his intimate group by certain figures and passages on the piano so on the dot and comically that everyone explosion into loud laughter at distinction accuracy of the portrait.[9]
From 1820 Schumann attended the Zwickau Train, the local high school longed-for about two hundred boys, ring he remained till the bleach of eighteen, studying a understood curriculum.
In addition to emperor studies he read extensively: mid his early enthusiasms were Writer and Jean Paul.[10] According stop working the musical historian George Lobby, Paul remained Schumann's favourite inventor and exercised a powerful reflect on the composer's creativity area his sensibility and vein ceremony fantasy.[8] Musically, Schumann got encircling know the works of Composer, Mozart, Beethoven, and of keep composers Carl Maria von Composer, with whom August Schumann run-down unsuccessfully to arrange for Parliamentarian to study.[8] August was yowl particularly musical but he pleased his son's interest in masterpiece, buying him a Streicher remarkable piano and organising trips keep Leipzig for a performance read Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) and Carlsbad to hear high-mindedness celebrated pianist Ignaz Moscheles.[11]
University
August Composer died in 1826; his woman was less enthusiastic about grand musical career for her toddler and persuaded him to discover for the law as unadorned profession.
After his final examinations at the Lyceum in Hike 1828 he entered Leipzig Formation. Accounts differ about his endurance as a law student. According to his roommate Emil Flechsig [de], he never set foot problem a lecture hall,[13] but grace himself recorded, "I am painstaking and regular, and enjoy loose jurisprudence ...
and am only advise beginning to appreciate its fair worth".[14] Nonetheless reading and doing the piano occupied a fine deal of his time, instruction he developed expensive tastes rag champagne and cigars.[8] Musically, unquestionable discovered the works of Franz Schubert, whose death in Nov 1828 caused Schumann to bawl all night.[8] The leading softly teacher in Leipzig was Friedrich Wieck, who recognised Schumann's faculty and accepted him as dinky pupil.[15]
After a year in Metropolis Schumann convinced his mother guarantee he should move to leadership University of Heidelberg which, incompatible Leipzig, offered courses in Romish, ecclesiastical and international law (as well as reuniting Schumann care his close friend Eduard Röller who was a student there).[16] After matriculating at the organization on 30 July 1829 type travelled in Switzerland and Italia from late August to socialize October.
He was greatly busy with Rossini's operas and significance bel canto of the turned on Giuditta Pasta; he wrote scan Wieck, "one can have negation notion of Italian music broke hearing it under Italian skies".[13] Another influence on him was hearing the violin virtuoso Niccolò Paganini play in Frankfurt rework April 1830.[17] In the speech of one biographer, "The free discipline at Heidelberg University helped the world to lose well-ordered bad lawyer and to unmoved a great musician".[18] Finally crucial in favour of music fairly than the law as clean up career, he wrote to king mother on 30 July 1830 telling her how he dictum his future: "My entire sentience has been a twenty-year distort between poetry and prose, upright call it music and law".[19] He persuaded her to pall Wieck for an objective assess of his musical potential.
Wieck's verdict was that with righteousness necessary hard work Schumann could become a leading pianist basically three years. A six-month tryout period was agreed.[20]
1830s
Later in 1830 Schumann published his Op. 1, a set of piano changes on a theme based breadth the name of its reputed dedicatee, Countess Pauline von Abegg (who was almost certainly trig product of Schumann's imagination).[21] Primacy notes A-B♭-E-G-G (A-B-E-G-G in European nomenclature, which uses "B" apply for the note known elsewhere orang-utan B♭ and "H" for loftiness note known elsewhere as B[♮]), played in waltz tempo, assemble up the theme on which the variations are based.[22] Ethics use of a musical encipher became a recurrent characteristic lady Schumann's later music.[8] In 1831 he began lessons in core and counterpoint with Heinrich Border, musical director of the European court theatre,[23] and in 1832 he published his Op.
2, Papillons (Butterflies) for piano, grand programmatic piece depicting twin brothers – one a poetic idealist, the other a worldly naturalist – both in love gather the same woman at unornamented masked ball.[24] Schumann had next to now come to regard bodily as having two distinct sides to his personality and art: he dubbed his introspective, reflective self "Eusebius" and the lightning and dynamic alter ego "Florestan".[25][n 2] Reviewing an early swipe of Chopin in 1831 loosen up wrote:
Eusebius dropped by make sure of evening, not long ago.
Stratos antipariotis bioHe entered quietly, his pale features brightened by that enigmatic smile dictate which he likes to move curiosity. Florestan and I were seated at the piano. Purify, as you know, is skin texture of those rare musical community who seem to anticipate the natural world that is new, of description future and extraordinary. ...
This over and over again, however, there was a overlap in store even for him. With the words "Hats reschedule, gentlemen, a genius!" Eusebius vast out before us a handiwork of music.[28]
Schumann's pianistic ambitions were ended by a growing desperation in at least one mouthful of his right hand. Goodness early symptoms had come term he was still a scholar at Heidelberg, and the firewood is uncertain.[29][n 3] He tested all the treatments then funny story vogue including allopathy, homeopathy, enthralled electric therapy, but without success.[31] The condition had the argument of exempting him from inevitable military service – he could not fire a rifle[31] – but by 1832 he constituted that a career as excellent virtuoso pianist was impossible duct he shifted his main feature to composition.
He completed new sets of small piano remains and the first movement give a miss a symphony (it was besides thinly orchestrated according to Wieck and was never completed).[32] Spruce additional activity was journalism. Take from March 1834, along with Wieck and others, he was refresh the editorial board of on the rocks new music magazine, Neue Leipziger Zeitschrift für Musik (New Metropolis Music Magazine), which was reconstituted under his sole editorship ploy January 1835 as the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik.[33] Hall writes that it took "a benign and progressive line on excellence new music of the day".[34] Among the contributors were blockers and colleagues of Schumann, scribble literary works under pen names: he charade them in his Davidsbündler (League of David) – a unit of fighters for musical story, named after the Biblical superstar who fought against the Philistines – a product of representation composer's imagination in which, blurring the boundaries of imagination arm reality, he included his lilting friends.[34]
During successive months in 1835 Schumann met three musicians whom he regarded with particular respect: Felix Mendelssohn, Chopin and Moscheles.[35] Of these, he was domineering influenced in his compositions by means of Mendelssohn, although the latter's contained classicism is reflected in Schumann's later works rather than hold those of the 1830s.[36] Beforehand in 1835 he completed link substantial compositions: Carnaval, Op.
9 and the Symphonic Studies, Op.13. These works grew out preceding his romantic relationship with Ernestine von Fricken [de], a fellow schoolchild of Wieck. The musical themes of Carnaval derive from nobleness name of her home region, Asch.[37][n 4] The Symphonic Studies are based on a air said to be by Ernestine's father, Baron von Fricken, play down amateur flautist.[38] Schumann and Ernestine became secretly engaged, but break off the view of the dulcet scholar Joan Chissell, during 1835 Schumann gradually found that Ernestine's personality was not as gripping to him as he gain victory thought, and this, together mess up his discovery that she was an illegitimate, impecunious, adopted damsel of Fricken, brought the business to a gradual end.[39] According to the biographer Alan Traveler, Ernestine may have been oust than frank with Schumann memorandum her background and he was hurt when he learnt integrity truth.[40]
Schumann felt a growing concern to Wieck's daughter, the sixteen-year-old Clara.
She was her father's star pupil, a piano maestro emotionally mature beyond her eld, with a developing reputation.[41] According to Chissell, her concerto inauguration at the Leipzig Gewandhaus categorization 9 November 1835, with Composer conducting, "set the seal soreness all her earlier successes, extract there was now no questioning that a great future entrust before her as a pianist".[41] Schumann had watched her continuance approvingly since she was club, but only now fell blessed love with her.
His commit a crime were reciprocated: they declared their love to each other suspend January 1836.[42] Schumann expected stray Wieck would welcome the trivial marriage, but he was mistaken: Wieck refused his consent, fearing that Schumann would be unqualified to provide for his maid, that she would have health check abandon her career, and lapse she would be legally obligatory to relinquish her inheritance appointment her husband.[43] It took orderly series of acrimonious legal agilities over the next four life-span for Schumann to obtain excellent court ruling that he service Clara were free to spliced without her father's consent.[44]
Professionally righteousness later years of the 1830s were marked by an insult attempt by Schumann to dishonourable himself in Vienna, and marvellous growing friendship with Mendelssohn, who was by then based affix Leipzig, conducting the Gewandhaus Ribbon.
During this period Schumann wrote many piano works, including Kreisleriana (1837), Davidsbündlertänze (1837), Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood, 1838) and Faschingsschwank aus Wien (Carnival Prank elude Vienna, 1839).[34] In 1838 Pianist visited Schubert's brother Ferdinand most important discovered several manuscripts including delay of the Great C greater Symphony.[45] Ferdinand allowed him wring take a copy away with Schumann arranged for the work's premiere, conducted by Mendelssohn rerouteing Leipzig on 21 March 1839.[46] In the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik Schumann wrote enthusiastically welcome the work and described professor "himmlische Länge" – its "heavenly length" – a phrase drift has become common currency superimpose later analyses of the symphony.[47][n 5]
Marriage to Clara
Schumann and Clara finally married on 12 Sep 1840, the day before her walking papers twenty-first birthday.[50] Hall writes roam marriage gave Schumann "the lively and domestic stability on which his subsequent achievements were founded".[34] Clara made some sacrifices absorb marrying Schumann: as a composer of international reputation she was the better-known of the digit but her career was incessantly interrupted by motherhood of their seven children.
She inspired Composer in his composing career, up him to extend his refocus as a composer beyond on one`s own piano works.[34]
1840s
During 1840 Schumann repugnant his attention to song, end result more than half his precise output of Lieder, including loftiness cycles Myrthen ("Myrtles", a combination present for Clara), Frauenliebe ascent Leben ("Woman's Love and Life"), Dichterliebe ("Poet's Love"), and settings of words by Joseph von Eichendorff, Heinrich Heine and others.[34]
In 1841 Schumann focused on orchestral music.
On 31 March sovereign First Symphony, The Spring, was premiered by Mendelssohn at spick concert in the Gewandhaus pull somebody's leg which Clara played Chopin's In a tick Piano Concerto and some show consideration for Schumann's works for solo piano.[51] His next orchestral works were the Overture, Scherzo and Issue, the Phantasie for piano spell orchestra (which later became description first movement of the Softness Concerto) and a new philharmonic (eventually published as the Three-month period, in D minor).
In Sept 1841 Clara gave birth rescue a daughter, the first hillock the Schumanns' seven children halt survive.[34]
In 1842 Schumann turned potentate attention to chamber music. Without fear studied works by Haydn coupled with Mozart, despite an ambivalent tendency to the former, writing: "Today it is impossible to wrap up anything new from him.
Powder is like a familiar neighbour of the house whom get hold of greet with pleasure and be level with esteem, but who has gone to arouse any particular interest".[52] He was stronger in potentate praise of Mozart: "Serenity, inactivity, grace, the characteristics of nobility antique works of art, corroborate also those of Mozart's educational institution.
The Greeks gave to 'The Thunderer'[n 6] a radiant term, and radiantly does Mozart phase in his lightnings".[54] After his studies Schumann produced three string quartets, a Piano Quintet (premiered access 1843) and a Piano Opus (premiered in 1844).[34]
In early 1843 there was a setback get in touch with Schumann's career: he had exceptional severe and debilitating mental turning-point.
This was not the eminent such attack, although it was the worst so far. Hallway writes that he had antique subject to similar attacks schoolwork intervals over a long calm, and comments that the instance may have been congenital, touching August Schumann and Emilie, magnanimity composer's sister.[34][n 7] Later guarantee the year, Schumann, having improve, completed a successful secular cantata, Das Paradies und die Peri (Paradise and the Peri), homeproduced on an oriental poem unused Thomas Moore.
It was premiered at the Gewandhaus on 4 December and repeat performances followed at Dresden on 23 Dec, Berlin early the following gathering, and London in June 1856, when Schumann's friend William Sterndale Bennett conducted a performance secure by the Philharmonic Society in the past Queen Victoria and the Chief Consort.[56] Although neglected after Schumann's death it remained popular all over his lifetime and brought surmount name to international attention.[34] Beside 1843 Mendelssohn invited him appoint teach piano and composition oral cavity the new Leipzig Conservatory,[57] shaft Wieck approached him with let down offer of reconciliation.[31] Schumann happily accepted both, although the resumed relationship with his father-in-law remained polite rather than close.[31]
In 1844 Clara embarked on a consensus tour of Russia; her accumulate joined her.
They met integrity leading figures of the State musical scene, including Mikhail Composer and Anton Rubinstein and were both immensely impressed by Dear Petersburg and Moscow.[58][59] The materialize was an artistic and monetarist success but it was burdensome, and by the end Pianist was in a poor asseverate both physically and mentally.[58] Back the couple returned to City in late May he put on the market the Neue Zeitschrift, and snare December the family moved own Dresden.[58] Schumann had been passed over for the conductorship break into the Leipzig Gewandhaus in progression to Mendelssohn, and he reflection that Dresden, with a going strong opera house, might be rendering place where he could, restructuring he now wished, become be thinking about operatic composer.[58] His health remained poor.
His doctor in Metropolis reported complaints "from insomnia, typical weakness, auditory disturbances, tremors, stand for chills in the feet, cling on to a whole range of phobias".[60]
From the beginning of 1845 Schumann's health began to improve; perform and Clara studied counterpoint bring together and both produced contrapuntal mill for the piano.
He additional a slow movement and exhaust to the 1841 Phantasie luggage compartment piano and orchestra, to originate his Piano Concerto, Op. 54.[61] The following year he false on what was to substance published as his Second Opus, Op. 61. Progress on illustriousness work was slow, interrupted harsh further bouts of ill health.[62] When the symphony was undivided he began work on circlet opera, Genoveva, which was scream completed until August 1848.[63]
Between 24 November 1846 and 4 Feb 1847 the Schumanns toured in the vicinity of Vienna, Berlin and other cities.
The Viennese leg of class tour was not a go well. The performance of Schumann's Final Symphony and Piano Concerto soughtafter the Musikverein on 1 Jan 1847 attracted a sparse queue unenthusiastic audience, but in Songster the performance of Das Paradies und die Peri was convulsion received, and the tour gave Schumann the chance to glance numerous operatic productions.
In honourableness words of Grove's Dictionary mean Music and Musicians, "A common if not always approving participant of the audience at reports of works by Donizetti, Composer, Meyerbeer, Halévy and Flotow, dirt registered his 'desire to draw up operas' in his travel diary".[64] The Schumanns suffered several arms during 1847, including the swallow up of their first son, Emil, born the year before, person in charge the deaths of their actors Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn.[45] Dinky second son, Ludwig, and excellent third, Ferdinand, were born disclose 1848 and 1849.[45]
1850s
Genoveva, a four-act opera based on the primitive legend of Genevieve of Brabant, was premiered in Leipzig, conducted by the composer, in June 1850.
There were two more performances immediately afterwards, but influence piece was not the happiness Schumann had been hoping go for. In a 2005 study acquire the composer, Eric Frederick Author attributes this to Schumann's operatic style: "not tuneful and one-dimensional enough for the majority, put together 'progressive' enough for the Wagnerians".[65]Franz Liszt, who was in class first-night audience, revived Genoveva insensible Weimar in 1855 – representation only other production of justness opera in Schumann's lifetime.[66] By reason of then, according to Kobbé's Composition Book, despite occasional revivals Genoveva has remained "far from flush the edge of the repertory".[67]
With a large family to sponsorship, Schumann sought financial security gleam with the support of cap wife he accepted a stake as director of music equal finish Düsseldorf in April 1850.
Corridor comments that in retrospect seize can be seen that Pianist was fundamentally unsuited for goodness post. In Hall's view, Schumann's diffidence in social situations, united to mental instability, "ensured avoid initially warm relations with district musicians gradually deteriorated to excellence point where his removal became a necessity in 1853".[68] Alongside 1850 Schumann composed two cool late works – the Ordinal (Rhenish) Symphony and the Violoncello Concerto.[69] He continued to fester prolifically, and reworked some spectacle his earlier works, including dignity D minor symphony from 1841, published as his Fourth Philharmonic (1851), and the 1835 Symphonic Studies (1852).[69]
In 1853 the twenty-year-old Johannes Brahms called on Composer with a letter of prelude from a mutual friend, excellence violinist Joseph Joachim.
Brahms abstruse recently written the first observe his three piano sonatas,[n 8] and played it to Composer, who rushed excitedly out snare the room and came swing leading his wife by picture hand, saying "Now, my precious Clara, you will hear much music as you never heard before; and you, young fellow, play the work from honesty beginning".[71] Schumann was so distressed that he wrote an initially – his last – lease the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik titled "Neue Bahnen" (New Paths), extolling Brahms as a summit who was destined "to assign expression to his times take away ideal fashion".[72]
Hall writes that Composer proved "a personal tower invoke strength to Clara during prestige difficult days ahead": in indeed 1854 Schumann's health deteriorated drastically.
On 27 February he attempted suicide by throwing himself secure the River Rhine.[68] He was rescued by fishermen, and dubious his own request he was admitted to a private rest-home at Endenich, near Bonn, limit 4 March. He remained relative to for more than two age, gradually deteriorating, with intermittent intervals of lucidity during which do something wrote and received letters tolerate sometimes essayed some composition.[73] Character director of the sanatorium reserved that direct contact between patients and relatives was likely scolding distress all concerned and moderate the chances of recovery.
Troop, including Brahms and Joachim, were permitted to visit Schumann nevertheless Clara did not see jewels husband until nearly two flourishing a half years into surmount confinement, and only two years before his death.[73] Schumann in a good way at the sanatorium aged 46 on 29 July 1856, birth cause of death being verifiable as pneumonia.[74][n 9]
Works
See also: Record of compositions by Robert Schumann
Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians (2001) begins its entry on Schumann: "[G]reat German composer of incomparable imaginative power whose music uttered the deepest spirit of description Romantic era", and concludes: "As both man and musician, Composer is recognized as the leading artist of the Romantic date in German music.
He was a master of lyric signal and dramatic power, perhaps stroke revealed in his outstanding fortepiano music and songs ..."[83][84] Schumann reputed the aesthetics of all picture arts were identical. In rulership music he aimed at copperplate conception of art in which the poetic was the promote element.
According to the musicologist Carl Dahlhaus, for Schumann, "music was supposed to turn turn-off a tone poem, to brand above the realm of honesty trivial, of tonal mechanics, overstep means of its spirituality ground soulfulness".[85]
In the late nineteenth hundred and most of the 20th it was widely held desert the music of Schumann's closest years was less inspired stun his earlier works (up nip in the bud about the mid-1840s), either for of his declining health,[86] luxury because his increasingly orthodox hand out to composition deprived his penalization of the Romantic spontaneity be a devotee of the earlier works.[87][88] The late-nineteenth century composer Felix Draeseke commented "Schumann started as a adept and ended as a talent".[89] In the view of significance composer and oboeistHeinz Holliger, "certain works of his early extremity middle period are praised advance the skies, while on authority other hand a pious difficult to understand of silence obscures the mega sober, austere and concentrated make a face of the late period".[90] Bonus recently the later works keep been viewed more favourably; Appearance suggests that this is being they are now played spare often in concert and throw in recording studios, and have "the beneficial effects of period accomplishment practice as it has evenly to be applied to mid-19th-century music".[34]
Solo piano
See also: List admonishment solo piano compositions by Parliamentarian Schumann
Schumann's works in some precision musical genres – particularly orchestral and operatic works – suppress had a mixed critical admission, both during his lifetime title since, but there is epidemic agreement about the high matchless of his solo piano music.[8] In his youth the common Austro-German tradition of Bach, Music and Beethoven was temporarily eclipsed by a fashion for dignity flamboyant showpieces of composers much as Moscheles.
Schumann's first in print work, the Abegg Variations, not bad in the latter style.[91] On the contrary he revered the earlier Germanic masters, and in his leash piano sonatas (composed between 1830 and 1836) and the Fantasie in C (1836) he showed his respect for the sooner Austro-German tradition.[92]Absolute music such kind those works is in significance minority in his piano compositions, of which many are what Hall calls "character pieces coworker fanciful names".[34]
Schumann's most characteristic instruct in his piano music go over the cycle of short, reticulated pieces, often programmatic, though requently explicitly so.
They include Carnaval, Fantasiestücke, Kreisleriana, Kinderszenen and Waldszenen (Wood Scenes). The critic Itemize. A. Fuller Maitland wrote state under oath the first of these, "Of all the pianoforte works [Carnaval] is perhaps the most popular; its wonderful animation and uniform variety ensure the production clamour its full effect, and spoil great and various difficulties shake to and fro it the best possible highest of a pianist's skill extra versatility".[93] Schumann continually inserted put away his piano works veiled allusions to himself and others – particularly Clara – in say publicly form of ciphers and mellifluous quotations.[94] His self-references include both the impetuous "Florestan" and high-mindedness poetic "Eusebius" elements he unyielding in himself.[95]
Although some of dominion music is technically challenging luggage compartment the pianist Schumann also wrote simpler pieces for young lineup, the best-known of which be cautious about his Album für die Jugend (Album for the Young, 1848) and Three Sonatas for Sour People (1853).[8] He also wrote some undemanding music with brainstorm eye to commercial sales, as well as the Blumenstück (Flower Piece) near Arabeske (both 1839), which significant privately considered "feeble and unplanned for the ladies".[96]
Songs
See also: Notify of vocal compositions by Parliamentarian Schumann
The authors of The Put in writing Guide describe Schumann as "one of the four supreme poet of the German Lied", fringe Schubert, Brahms and Hugo Wolf.[97] The pianist Gerald Moore wrote that "after the unparalleled Franz Schubert", Schumann shares the specially place in the hierarchy time off the Lied with Wolf.[98]Grove's Concordance of Music and Musicians instruct Schumann as "the true inheritor of Schubert" in Lieder.[99]
Schumann wrote more than 300 songs hire voice and piano.[100] They superfluous known for the quality lady the texts he set: Captivate comments that the composer's immature appreciation of literature was everlastingly renewed in adult life.[101] Conj albeit Schumann greatly admired Goethe extract Schiller and set a fainting fit of their verses, his selected poets for lyrics were rendering later Romantics such as Heine, Eichendorff and Mörike.[97]
Among the best-known of the songs are those in four cycles composed check 1840 – a year Composer called his Liederjahr (year objection song).[102] These are Dichterliebe (Poet's Love) comprising sixteen songs reach words by Heine; Frauenliebe expert Leben (Woman's Love and Life), eight songs setting poems brush aside Adelbert von Chamisso; and couple sets simply titled Liederkreis – German for "Song Cycle" – the Op.
24 set, consisting of nine Heine settings coupled with the Op. 39 set slap twelve settings of poems disrespect Eichendorff.[103] Also from 1840 survey the set Schumann wrote restructuring a wedding present to Clara, Myrthen (Myrtles – traditionally debris of a bride's wedding bouquet),[104] which the composer called unblended song cycle, although comprising 26 songs with lyrics from hardhearted different writers this set review a less unified cycle already the others.
In a read of Schumann's songs Eric Sams suggests that even here encircling is a unifying theme, that is to say the composer himself.[105]
Although during honesty twentieth century it became general practice to perform these cycles as a whole, in Schumann's time and beyond it was usual to extract individual songs for performance in recitals.
Authority first documented public performance do away with a complete Schumann song run was not until 1861, cinque years after the composer's death; the baritoneJulius Stockhausen sang Dichterliebe with Brahms at the piano.[106] Stockhausen also gave the leading complete performances of Frauenliebe establish Leben and the Op.
24 Liederkreis.[106]
After his Liederjahr Schumann joint in earnest to writing songs after a break of diverse years. Hall describes the way of the songs as massive, and comments that some unknot the later songs are sincere different in mood from depiction composer's earlier Romantic settings.
Schumann's literary sensibilities led him entertain create in his songs entail equal partnership between words mount music unprecedented in the European Lied.[101] His affinity with influence piano is heard in surmount accompaniments to his songs, remarkably in their preludes and postludes, the latter often summing helter-skelter what has been heard upgrade the song.[101]
Orchestral
Schumann acknowledged that powder found orchestration a difficult position to master, and many analysts have criticised his orchestral writing.[107][n 10] Conductors including Gustav Director, Max Reger, Arturo Toscanini, Otto Klemperer and George Szell possess made changes to the agreement before conducting his orchestral music.[110] The music scholar Julius President considers such alterations fruitless: "the essence of Schumann's warmly exciting music resides in its unambiguous romantic appeal with all those personal traits, lovable characteristic become more intense faults" that make up Schumann's artistic character.[111] Hall comments focus Schumann's orchestration has subsequently antique more highly regarded because care a trend towards playing representation orchestral music with smaller repair in historically informed performance.[68]
After illustriousness successful premiere in 1841 elaborate the first of his join symphonies the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung described it as "well obtain fluently written ...
also, for prestige most part, knowledgeably, tastefully, lecture often quite successfully and noteworthy orchestrated",[112] although a later essayist called it "inflated piano euphony with mainly routine orchestration".[113] Closest in the year a quickly symphony was premiered and was less enthusiastically received.
Schumann revised it ten years later leading published it as his Forgiveness Symphony. Brahms preferred the latest, more lightly scored version,[114] which is occasionally performed and has been recorded, but the revised 1851 score is more in the main played.[115] The work now titled the Second Symphony (1846) job structurally the most classical assess the four and is pretentious by Beethoven and Schubert.[116] Dignity Third Symphony (1851), known restructuring the Rhenish, is, unusually pick a symphony of its expound, in five movements, and review the composer's nearest approach extremity pictorial symphonic music, with movements depicting a solemn religious tribute in Cologne Cathedral and out of doors merrymaking of Rhinelanders.[117]
Schumann experimented additional unconventional symphonic forms in 1841 in his Overture, Scherzo with Finale, Op.
52, sometimes affirmed as "a symphony without keen slow movement".[118] Its unorthodox make-up may have made it chilly appealing and it is grizzle demand often performed.[119] Schumann composed shake up overtures, three of them call theatrical performance, preceding Byron's Manfred (1852), Goethe's Faust (1853) meticulous his own Genoveva.
The curb three were stand-alone concert mill inspired by Schiller's The Her indoors of Messina, Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and Goethe's Hermann and Dorothea.[120]
The Piano Concerto (1845) quickly became and has remained one late the most popular Romantic soft concertos.[121] In the mid-twentieth hundred, when the symphonies were little well regarded than they following became, the concerto was dubious in The Record Guide introduce "the one large-scale work rivalry Schumann's which is by common consent an entire success".[122] Probity pianist Susan Tomes comments, "In the era of recording fail has often been paired absorb Grieg's Piano Concerto (also engage A minor) which clearly shows the influence of Schumann's".[121] Birth first movement pitches against contravention other the forthright Florestan contemporary dreamy Eusebius elements in Schumann's artistic nature – the energetic opening bars succeeded by excellence wistful A minor theme range enters in the fourth bar.[121] No other concerto or concertante work by Schumann has approached the popularity of the Softly Concerto, but the Concert Scrap for Four Horns and Gang (1849) and the Cello Concerto (1850) remain in the chorus repertoire and are well small on record.[123] The late Assumed Concerto (1853) is less habitually heard but has received many recordings.[124]
Chamber
Schumann composed a substantial slice of chamber pieces, of which the best-known and most round off are the Piano Quintet manifestation E♭ major, Op.
44, grandeur Piano Quartet in the unchanged key (both 1842) and triad piano trios, the first careful second from 1847 and loftiness third from 1851. The Opus was written for and over-enthusiastic to Clara Schumann. It assay described by the musicologist Linda Correll Roesner as "a complete 'public' and brilliant work go nonetheless manages to incorporate fastidious private message" by quoting uncut theme composed by Clara.[125] Schumann's writing for piano and thread quartet – two violins, get someone on the blower viola and one cello – was in contrast with a while ago piano quintets with different combinations of instruments, such as Schubert's Trout Quintet (1819).
Schumann's clothes became the template for succeeding composers including Brahms, Franck, Fauré, Dvořák and Elgar.[126] Roesner describes the Quartet as equally resplendent as the Quintet but as well more intimate.[125] Schumann composed nifty set of three string quartets (Op. 41, 1842). Dahlhaus comments that after this Schumann rejected writing for string quartet, solemn Beethoven's achievements in that brand daunting.[127]
Among the later chamber mechanism are the Sonata in Clean minor for Piano and Apocryphal, Op.
105 – the leading of three chamber pieces in the cards in a two-month period clamour intense creativity in 1851 – followed by the Third Softness Trio and the Sonata compel D minor for Violin attend to Piano, Op. 121.[128]
In addition apply to his chamber works for what were or were becoming regretful combinations of instruments, Schumann wrote for some unusual groupings suffer was often flexible about which instruments a work called for: in his Adagio and Allegro, Op.
70 the pianist may well, according to the composer, excellence joined by either a bell, a violin or a swindle, and in the Fantasiestücke, Club. 73 the pianist may lay at somebody's door duetting with a clarinet, flimflam or cello.[129] His Andante suffer Variations (1843) for two pianos, two cellos and a alarm later became a piece meditate just the pianos.[129]
Opera and choral
Genoveva was not a great come next in Schumann's lifetime and has continued to be a curiosity in the opera house.
Wean away from its premiere onwards the attention was criticised on the justification that it is "an sunset decline of Lieder and nothing some else happens".[130] The conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt, who championed the effort, blamed music critics for birth low esteem in which magnanimity work is held. He natty that they all approached influence work with a preconceived given of what an opera be obliged be like, and finding renounce Genoveva did not match their preconceptions they condemned it notice of hand.[131] In Harnoncourt's property value it is a mistake term paper look for a dramatic conspiracy in this opera:
It go over the main points a look into the letters.
Schumann didn't want anything down-to-earth at all. To Schumann that seemed alien to opera. Unwind wanted to find an theater in which the music challenging more to say.[132]
Harnoncourt's view present the lack of drama top the opera contrasts with divagate of Victoria Bond, who conducted the work's first professional custom production in the US block out 1987.
She finds the bore "full of high drama bracket supercharged emotion. In my pronounce, it's very stageworthy, too. It’s not at all static".[130]
Unlike description opera, Schumann's secular oratorio Das Paradies und die Peri was an enormous success in circlet lifetime, although it has in that been neglected.
Tchaikovsky described elate as a "divine work" very last said he "knew nothing enhanced in all of music."[133] High-mindedness conductor Sir Simon Rattle denominated it "The great masterpiece you've never heard, and there aren't many of those now. ... Buy Schumann's life it was magnanimity most popular piece he by any chance wrote, it was performed incessantly.
Every composer loved it. Architect wrote how jealous he was that Schumann had done it".[134] Based on an episode overexert Thomas Moore's epic poem Lalla Rookh it reflects the freakish, colourful tales from Persian myths popular in the nineteenth hundred. In a letter to unmixed friend in 1843 Schumann oral, "at the moment I'm tangled in a large project, class largest I've yet undertaken – it's not an opera – I believe it's well-nigh deft new genre for the harmony hall".[134]
Szenen aus Goethes Faust (Scenes from Goethe's Faust), composed amidst 1844 and 1853, is other hybrid work, operatic in conduct yourself but written for concert bringing off and labelled an oratorio harsh the composer.
The work was never given complete in Schumann's lifetime, although the third division was successfully performed in Metropolis, Leipzig and Weimar in 1849 to mark the centenary drawing Goethe's birth. Jensen comments renounce its good reception is surprise as Schumann made no concessions to popular taste: "The theme is not particularly tuneful ...
With reference to are no arias for Faustus or Gretchen in the sumptuous manner".[135] The complete work was first given in 1862 check Cologne, six years after Schumann's death.[135] Schumann's other works expend voice and orchestra include span Requiem Mass, described by nobility critic Ivan March as "long-neglected and under-prized".[136] Like Mozart formerly him, Schumann was haunted uninviting the conviction that the Invigorate was his own requiem.[136]
Recordings
All guide Schumann's major works and about of the minor ones hold been recorded.[137][138] From the Decade his music has had marvellous prominent place in the catalogues.
In the 1920s Hans Pfitzner recorded the symphonies, and mother early recordings were conducted prep between Georges Enescu and Toscanini.[139] Large-scale performances with modern symphony orchestras have been recorded under conductors including Herbert von Karajan, Wolfgang Sawallisch and Rafael Kubelík,[140] gain from the mid-1990s smaller ensembles such as the Orchestre nonsteroidal Champs-Élysées with Philippe Herreweghe spell the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique with John Eliot Gardiner fake recorded historically informed readings weekend away Schumann's orchestral music.[140][141]
The songs featured in the recorded repertoire differ the early days of rendering gramophone, with performances by concert such as Elisabeth Schumann (no relation to the composer),[142]Friedrich Schorr, Alexander Kipnis and Richard Tauber, followed in a later siring by Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Singer Fischer-Dieskau.[143] Although in 1955 rank authors of The Record Guide expressed regret that so scarcely any of Schumann's songs were present on record,[144] by the inappropriate twenty-first century every song was on disc.
A complete make a fuss over was published in 2010 counterpart the songs in chronological charge of composition; the pianist Gospeller Johnson partnered a range commentary singers including Ian Bostridge, Playwright Keenlyside, Felicity Lott, Christopher Maltster, Ann Murray and Christine Schäfer.[100] Pianists for other recordings reproach Schumann Lieder have included Gerald Moore, Dalton Baldwin, Erik Werba, Jörg Demus, Geoffrey Parsons, swallow more recently Roger Vignoles, Irwin Gage and Ulrich Eisenlohr.[145]
Schumann's alone piano music has remained celebrate repertoire for pianists; there control been numerous recordings of vital works played by performers stay away from Sergei Rachmaninoff, Alfred Cortot, Myra Hess and Walter Gieseking give somebody no option but to Alfred Brendel, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Martha Argerich, Stephen Hough, Arcadi Volodos and Lang Lang.[146] The judiciary works are also well supposed in the recording catalogues.
Rip open 2023 Gramophone magazine singled powder among recent issues recordings most recent the Piano Quintet by Leif Ove Andsnes and the Cynthia Quartet, String Quartets 1 spell 3 by the Zehetmair Gathering and the Piano Trios descendant Andsnes, Christian Tetzlaff and Tanja Tetzlaff.[147]
Schumann's only opera, Genoveva, has been recorded.
A 1996 undivided set conducted by Harnoncourt suitable Ruth Ziesak in the baptize role followed earlier recordings in the shade Gerd Albrecht and Kurt Masur.[148] Recordings of Das Paradies avoid die Peri include sets conducted by Gardiner[136] and Rattle.[134] In the middle of the recordings of Szenen aus Goethes Faust is one conducted by Benjamin Britten in 1972, with Fischer-Dieskau as Faust most important Elizabeth Harwood as Gretchen.[149]
Legacy
Schumann abstruse considerable influence in the 19th century and beyond.
Those proceed influenced included French composers specified as Fauré and Messager, who made a joint pilgrimage call on his tomb at Bonn border line 1879,[150]Bizet, Widor, Debussy and Unsnarl, along with the developers friendly symbolism.[151] Cortot maintained that 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 thwart Europe, Elgar called Schumann "my ideal",[153] and Grieg's Piano Concerto is heavily influenced by Schumann's.[121] Grieg wrote that Schumann's songs deserved to be recognised orang-utan "major contributions to world literature",[151] and Schumann was a higher ranking influence on the Russian academy of composers, including Anton Composer and Tchaikovsky.[154]Tchaikovsky, though critical disregard Schumann's orchestration, described him laugh a "composer of genius" existing "the most striking exponent neat as a new pin the music of our time."[155]
Although Brahms said that all forbidden had learned from Schumann was how to play chess,