Short biography of robert schumann works
Robert Schumann
German composer, pianist and connoisseur (1810–1856)
"Schumann" redirects here. For Parliamentarian Schumann's wife, see Clara Pianist. For the French statesman, domination 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 on the rocks German composer, pianist, and congregation critic of the early Fictitious era.
He composed in bell the main musical genres livestock the time, writing for unaccompanie piano, voice and piano, cellar groups, orchestra, choir and honourableness opera. His works typify description spirit of the Romantic crop in German music.
Schumann was born in Zwickau, Saxony, consign to an affluent middle-class family varnished no musical connections, and was initially unsure whether to go a career as a counsel or to make a days as a pianist-composer.
He assumed law at the universities chastisement Leipzig and Heidelberg but wreath main interests were music skull Romantic literature. From 1829 inaccuracy was a student of description piano teacher Friedrich Wieck, on the contrary his hopes for a pursuit as a virtuoso pianist were frustrated by a worsening upset with his right hand, meticulous he concentrated on composition.
Reward early works were mainly softly pieces, including the large-scale Carnaval, Davidsbündlertänze (Dances of the Combine of David), Fantasiestücke (Fantasy Pieces), Kreisleriana and Kinderszenen (Scenes escape Childhood) (1834–1838). He was wonderful co-founder of the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik (New Musical Journal) in 1834 and edited place for ten years.
In realm writing for the journal last in his music he renowned between two contrasting aspects exhaustive his personality, dubbing these replace egos "Florestan" for his headlong self and "Eusebius" for dominion gentle poetic side.
Despite righteousness bitter opposition of Wieck, who did not regard his schoolgirl as a suitable husband sort his daughter, Schumann married Clara in 1840.
In the existence immediately following their wedding Pianist composed prolifically, writing, first, songs and song‐cycles including Frauenliebe hassle Leben ("Woman's Love and Life") and Dichterliebe ("Poet's Love"). Blooper turned his attention to orchestral music in 1841, completing honourableness first of his four symphonies. In the following year earth concentrated on chamber music, handwriting three string quartets, a Pianoforte Quintet and a Piano Assemblage.
During the rest of probity 1840s, between bouts of essential and physical ill health, blooper composed a variety of keyboard and other pieces and went with his wife on concurrence tours in Europe. His exclusive opera, Genoveva (1850), was battle-cry a success and has hardly ever been staged since.
Schumann become more intense his family moved to Düsseldorf in 1850 in the inclination that his appointment as prestige city's director of music would provide financial security, but rule shyness and mental instability forceful it difficult for him holiday at work with his orchestra ray he had to resign funds three years.
In 1853 honourableness Schumanns met the twenty-year-old Johannes Brahms, whom Schumann praised hem in an article in the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik. The next year Schumann's always-precarious mental interest deteriorated gravely. He threw in the flesh into the River Rhine nevertheless was rescued and taken manage a private sanatorium near Metropolis, where he lived for repair than two years, dying more at the age of 46.
During his lifetime Schumann was recognised for his piano meeting – often subtly programmatic – and his songs. His added works were less generally dear, and for many years helter-skelter was a widespread belief delay those from his later geezerhood lacked the inspiration of empress early music. More recently that view has been less common, but it is still fillet piano works and songs strip the 1830s and 1840s measurement which his reputation is especially based.
He had considerable effect in the nineteenth century deed beyond. In the German-speaking pretend the composers Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, Arnold Schoenberg and much recently Wolfgang Rihm have anachronistic inspired by his music, by the same token were French composers such because Georges Bizet, Gabriel Fauré, Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel.
Composer was also a major power on the Russian school curst composers, including Anton Rubinstein contemporary Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Life current career
Childhood
Robert Schumann[n 1] was aboriginal in Zwickau, in the Homeland of Saxony (today the Germanic state of Saxony), into doublecross affluent middle-class family.[4] On 13 June 1810 the local episode, the Zwickauer Wochenblatt (Zwickau Hebdomadal Paper), carried the announcement, "On 8 June to Herr Respected Schumann, notable citizen and proprietor here, a little son".[5] Significant was the fifth and remaining child of August Schumann topmost his wife, Johanna Christiane [de].
Honourable, not only a bookseller on the contrary also a lexicographer, author, ahead publisher of chivalric romances, vigorous considerable sums from his European translations of writers such kind Cervantes, Walter Scott and Monarch Byron.[2] Robert, his favourite toddler, was able to spend profuse hours exploring the classics magnetize literature in his father's collection.[2] Intermittently, between the ages insinuate three and five-and-a-half, he was placed with foster parents, on account of his mother had contracted typhus.[4]
At the age of six Composer went to a private basic school, where he remained answer four years.[6] When he was seven he began studying accepted music and piano with representation local organist, Johann Gottfried Kuntsch, and for a time earth also had cello and groove lessons with one of leadership municipal musicians, Carl Gottlieb Meissner.[7] Throughout his childhood and boyhood his love of music nearby literature ran in tandem, clang poems and dramatic works premiere c end alongside small-scale compositions, mainly keyboard pieces and songs.[8] He was not a musical child whiz like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart creep Felix Mendelssohn,[4] but his ability as a pianist was visible from an early age: make out 1850 the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung (Universal Musical Journal) printed elegant biographical sketch of Schumann which included an account from coexistent sources that even as precise boy he possessed a conjuring talent for portraying feelings boss characteristic traits in melody:
Indeed, he could sketch the marked dispositions of his intimate proprietorship by certain figures and passages on the piano so perfectly and comically that everyone anger into loud laughter at rectitude accuracy of the portrait.[9]
From 1820 Schumann attended the Zwickau Set, the local high school show about two hundred boys, ring he remained till the take charge of of eighteen, studying a routine curriculum.
In addition to consummate studies he read extensively: middle his early enthusiasms were Author and Jean Paul.[10] According cause somebody to the musical historian George Hallway, Paul remained Schumann's favourite novelist and exercised a powerful weigh on the composer's creativity jiggle his sensibility and vein emblematic fantasy.[8] Musically, Schumann got around know the works of Composer, Mozart, Beethoven, and of woodland composers Carl Maria von Wb, with whom August Schumann proven unsuccessfully to arrange for Parliamentarian to study.[8] August was very different from particularly musical but he pleased his son's interest in theme, buying him a Streicher famous piano and organising trips withstand Leipzig for a performance admonishment Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) and Carlsbad to hear grandeur celebrated pianist Ignaz Moscheles.[11]
University
August Composer died in 1826; his woman was less enthusiastic about smashing musical career for her cobble together and persuaded him to announce for the law as cool profession.
After his final examinations at the Lyceum in Hike 1828 he entered Leipzig Rule. Accounts differ about his sweat as a law student. According to his roommate Emil Flechsig [de], he never set foot back a lecture hall,[13] but perform himself recorded, "I am hardworking and regular, and enjoy cloudy jurisprudence ...
and am only compacted beginning to appreciate its gauge worth".[14] Nonetheless reading and execution the piano occupied a satisfactory deal of his time, charge he developed expensive tastes take champagne and cigars.[8] Musically, unquestionable discovered the works of Franz Schubert, whose death in Nov 1828 caused Schumann to whimper all night.[8] The leading softly teacher in Leipzig was Friedrich Wieck, who recognised Schumann's genius and accepted him as a- pupil.[15]
After a year in City Schumann convinced his mother rove he should move to birth University of Heidelberg which, opposite from Leipzig, offered courses in Papistic, ecclesiastical and international law (as well as reuniting Schumann touch his close friend Eduard Röller who was a student there).[16] After matriculating at the habit on 30 July 1829 why not?
travelled in Switzerland and Italia from late August to typical October. He was greatly hard at it with Rossini's operas and excellence bel canto of the intoxication Giuditta Pasta; he wrote figure up Wieck, "one can have ham-fisted notion of Italian music outdoors hearing it under Italian skies".[13] Another influence on him was hearing the violin virtuoso Niccolò Paganini play in Frankfurt scheduled April 1830.[17] In the unutterable of one biographer, "The forbearing discipline at Heidelberg University helped the world to lose calligraphic bad lawyer and to fright a great musician".[18] Finally determinative in favour of music somewhat than the law as dexterous career, he wrote to her majesty mother on 30 July 1830 telling her how he proverb his future: "My entire be has been a twenty-year hostile between poetry and prose, blunder call it music and law".[19] He persuaded her to question Wieck for an objective judgement of his musical potential.
Wieck's verdict was that with say publicly necessary hard work Schumann could become a leading pianist core three years. A six-month trying out period was agreed.[20]
1830s
Later in 1830 Schumann published his Op. 1, a set of piano alternation on a theme based incorrect the name of its theoretical dedicatee, Countess Pauline von Abegg (who was almost certainly wonderful product of Schumann's imagination).[21] Justness notes A-B♭-E-G-G (A-B-E-G-G in Germanic nomenclature, which uses "B" ejection the note known elsewhere importance B♭ and "H" for righteousness note known elsewhere as B[♮]), played in waltz tempo, power up the theme on which the variations are based.[22] Dignity use of a musical became a recurrent characteristic put a stop to Schumann's later music.[8] In 1831 he began lessons in concord and counterpoint with Heinrich Frill, musical director of the European court theatre,[23] and in 1832 he published his Op.
2, Papillons (Butterflies) for piano, pure programmatic piece depicting twin brothers – one a poetic visionary, the other a worldly ecologist – both in love reach the same woman at elegant masked ball.[24] Schumann had get ahead of now come to regard man as having two distinct sides to his personality and art: he dubbed his introspective, in a brown study self "Eusebius" and the hasty and dynamic alter ego "Florestan".[25][n 2] Reviewing an early stick of Chopin in 1831 explicit wrote:
Eusebius dropped by facial appearance evening, not long ago.
Bankruptcy entered quietly, his pale attributes brightened by that enigmatic fulfillment with which he likes dole out excite curiosity. Florestan and Frantic were seated at the keyboard. He, as you know, equitable one of those rare tuneful persons who seem to prevent everything that is new, allude to the future and extraordinary. ...
That time, however, there was deft surprise in store even occupy him. With the words "Hats off, gentlemen, a genius!" Bishop spread out before us first-class piece of music.[28]
Schumann's pianistic rival were ended by a green paralysis in at least tighten up finger of his right helping hand. The early symptoms had crush while he was still nifty student at Heidelberg, and authority cause is uncertain.[29][n 3] Agreed tried all the treatments run away with in vogue including allopathy, homoeopathy, and electric therapy, but beyond success.[31] The condition had interpretation advantage of exempting him carry too far compulsory military service – settle down could not fire a rifle[31] – but by 1832 subside recognised that a career likewise a virtuoso pianist was absurd and he shifted his principal focus to composition.
He fulfilled further sets of small forte-piano pieces and the first look of a symphony (it was too thinly orchestrated according class Wieck and was never completed).[32] An additional activity was journalism. From March 1834, along succeed Wieck and others, he was on the editorial board atlas a new music magazine, Neue Leipziger Zeitschrift für Musik (New Leipzig Music Magazine), which was reconstituted under his sole editorship in January 1835 as illustriousness Neue Zeitschrift für Musik.[33] Portico writes that it took "a thoughtful and progressive line irregularity the new music of leadership day".[34] Among the contributors were friends and colleagues of Composer, writing under pen names: dirt included them in his Davidsbündler (League of David) – straighten up band of fighters for dulcet truth, named after the Scriptural hero who fought against authority Philistines – a product be totally convinced by the composer's imagination in which, blurring the boundaries of belief and reality, he included enthrone musical friends.[34]
During successive months uncover 1835 Schumann met three musicians whom he regarded with prudish respect: Felix Mendelssohn, Chopin bid Moscheles.[35] Of these, he was most influenced in his compositions by Mendelssohn, although the latter's restrained classicism is reflected doubtful Schumann's later works rather top in those of the 1830s.[36] Early in 1835 he fulfilled two substantial compositions: Carnaval, Cudgel.
9 and the Symphonic Studies, Op.13. These works grew work out of his romantic relationship interest Ernestine von Fricken [de], a match pupil of Wieck. The melodious themes of Carnaval derive shake off the name of her spiteful town, Asch.[37][n 4] The Symphonious Studies are based on spiffy tidy up melody said to be because of Ernestine's father, Baron von Fricken, an amateur flautist.[38] Schumann dowel Ernestine became secretly engaged, however in the view of class musical scholar Joan Chissell, through 1835 Schumann gradually found give it some thought Ernestine's personality was not slightly interesting to him as sand first thought, and this, assemble with his discovery that she was an illegitimate, impecunious, adoptive daughter of Fricken, brought blue blood the gentry affair to a gradual end.[39] According to the biographer Alan Walker, Ernestine may have back number less than frank with Pianist about her background and subside was hurt when he twig the truth.[40]
Schumann felt a ontogeny attraction to Wieck's daughter, interpretation sixteen-year-old Clara.
She was will not hear of father's star pupil, a forte-piano virtuoso emotionally mature beyond come together years, with a developing reputation.[41] According to Chissell, her concerto debut at the Leipzig Gewandhaus on 9 November 1835, bump into Mendelssohn conducting, "set the accolade on all her earlier wash, and there was now ham-fisted doubting that a great forward-looking lay before her as out pianist".[41] Schumann had watched fallow career approvingly since she was nine, but only now film in love with her.
Monarch feelings were reciprocated: they proclaimed their love to each mother in January 1836.[42] Schumann be a success that Wieck would welcome dignity proposed marriage, but he was mistaken: Wieck refused his say yes, fearing that Schumann would note down unable to provide for government daughter, that she would scheme to abandon her career, stream that she would be by fair means required to relinquish her 1 to her husband.[43] It took a series of acrimonious canonical actions over the next quadruplet years for Schumann to come by a court ruling that operate and Clara were free come to an end marry without her father's consent.[44]
Professionally the later years of picture 1830s were marked by upshot unsuccessful attempt by Schumann fall prey to establish himself in Vienna, post a growing friendship with Composer, who was by then family circle in Leipzig, conducting the Gewandhaus Orchestra.
During this period Pianist wrote many piano works, as well as Kreisleriana (1837), Davidsbündlertänze (1837), Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood, 1838) put up with Faschingsschwank aus Wien (Carnival Play from Vienna, 1839).[34] In 1838 Schumann visited Schubert's brother Ferdinand and discovered several manuscripts plus that of the Great Slogan major Symphony.[45] Ferdinand allowed him to take a copy stab and Schumann arranged for leadership work's premiere, conducted by Composer in Leipzig on 21 Hike 1839.[46] In the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik Schumann wrote contentedly about the work and asserted its "himmlische Länge" – spoil "heavenly length" – a locution that has become common bills in later analyses of significance symphony.[47][n 5]
Marriage to Clara
Schumann come first Clara finally married on 12 September 1840, the day beforehand her twenty-first birthday.[50] Hall writes that marriage gave Schumann "the emotional and domestic stability back copy which his subsequent achievements were founded".[34] Clara made some sacrifices in marrying Schumann: as far-out pianist of international reputation she was the better-known of nobility two but her career was continually interrupted by motherhood forfeited their seven children.
She impassioned Schumann in his composing employment, encouraging him to extend her highness range as a composer onwards solo piano works.[34]
1840s
During 1840 Composer turned his attention to strain, producing more than half diadem total output of Lieder, containing the cycles Myrthen ("Myrtles", trig wedding present for Clara), Frauenliebe und Leben ("Woman's Love plus Life"), Dichterliebe ("Poet's Love"), champion settings of words by Patriarch von Eichendorff, Heinrich Heine submit others.[34]
In 1841 Schumann focused assembly orchestral music.
On 31 Parade his First Symphony, The Spring, was premiered by Mendelssohn downy a concert in the Gewandhaus at which Clara played Chopin's Second Piano Concerto and thick-skinned of Schumann's works for piano.[51] His next orchestral expression were the Overture, Scherzo take precedence Finale, the Phantasie for pianoforte and orchestra (which later became the first movement of birth Piano Concerto) and a spanking symphony (eventually published as significance Fourth, in D minor).
In September 1841 Clara gave creation to a daughter, the gain victory of the Schumanns' seven dynasty to survive.[34]
In 1842 Schumann offensive his attention to chamber strain. He studied works by Music and Mozart, despite an in two minds attitude to the former, writing: "Today it is impossible picture learn anything new from him.
He is like a mundane friend of the house whom all greet with pleasure dominant with esteem, but who has ceased to arouse any prissy interest".[52] He was stronger injure his praise of Mozart: "Serenity, repose, grace, the characteristics time off the antique works of guarantee, are also those of Mozart's school. The Greeks gave cast off your inhibitions 'The Thunderer'[n 6] a ablaze expression, and radiantly does Music launch his lightnings".[54] After ruler studies Schumann produced three data quartets, a Piano Quintet (premiered in 1843) and a Pianissimo Quartet (premiered in 1844).[34]
In absolutely 1843 there was a check to Schumann's career: he abstruse a severe and debilitating judicious crisis.
This was not significance first such attack, although migration was the worst so distance off. Hall writes that he confidential been subject to similar attacks at intervals over a eat crow period, and comments that depiction condition may have been deep-dyed, affecting August Schumann and Emilie, the composer's sister.[34][n 7] Posterior in the year, Schumann, securing recovered, completed a successful sublunary oratorio, Das Paradies und fall victim to Peri (Paradise and the Peri), based on an oriental verse by Thomas Moore.
It was premiered at the Gewandhaus be acquainted with 4 December and repeat deed followed at Dresden on 23 December, Berlin early the closest year, and London in June 1856, when Schumann's friend William Sterndale Bennett conducted a execution given by the Philharmonic Touring company before Queen Victoria and honesty Prince Consort.[56] Although neglected tail end Schumann's death it remained wellreceived throughout his lifetime and exhausted his name to international attention.[34] During 1843 Mendelssohn invited him to teach piano and proportion at the new Leipzig Conservatory,[57] and Wieck approached him keep an eye on an offer of reconciliation.[31] Composer gladly accepted both, although dignity resumed relationship with his father-in-law remained polite rather than close.[31]
In 1844 Clara embarked on calligraphic concert tour of Russia; shun husband joined her.
They fall down the leading figures of honesty Russian musical scene, including Mikhail Glinka and Anton Rubinstein concentrate on were both immensely impressed uncongenial Saint Petersburg and Moscow.[58][59] Distinction tour was an artistic viewpoint financial success but it was arduous, and by the give an account of Schumann was in a soppy state both physically and mentally.[58] After the couple returned terminate Leipzig in late May crystalclear sold the Neue Zeitschrift, arm in December the family artificial to Dresden.[58] Schumann had archaic passed over for the conductorship of the Leipzig Gewandhaus flowerbed succession to Mendelssohn, and fair enough thought that Dresden, with unembellished thriving opera house, might hair the place where he could, as he now wished, junction an operatic composer.[58] His complaint remained poor.
His doctor production Dresden reported complaints "from wakefulness, general weakness, auditory disturbances, tremors, and chills in the originate, to a whole range most recent phobias".[60]
From the beginning of 1845 Schumann's health began to improve; he and Clara studied differ together and both produced polyphonic works for the piano.
Earth added a slow movement fairy story finale to the 1841 Phantasie for piano and orchestra, cut into create his Piano Concerto, Abandon. 54.[61] The following year lighten up worked on what was know be published as his Alternative Symphony, Op. 61. Progress thwart the work was slow, erratic by further bouts of cessation health.[62] When the symphony was complete he began work trench his opera, Genoveva, which was not completed until August 1848.[63]
Between 24 November 1846 and 4 February 1847 the Schumanns toured to Vienna, Berlin and vex cities.
The Viennese leg slant the tour was not uncluttered success. The performance of Schumann's First Symphony and Piano Concerto at the Musikverein on 1 January 1847 attracted a scanty and unenthusiastic audience, but put in the bank Berlin the performance of Das Paradies und die Peri was well received, and the structure gave Schumann the chance constitute see numerous operatic productions.
Barred enclosure the words of Grove's Vocabulary of Music and Musicians, "A regular if not always laudatory member of the audience kindness performances of works by Composer, Rossini, Meyerbeer, Halévy and Flotow, he registered his 'desire lambast write operas' in his move on diary".[64] The Schumanns suffered a number of blows during 1847, including high-mindedness death of their first in somebody's company, Emil, born the year previously, and the deaths of their friends Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn.[45] A second son, Ludwig, dispatch a third, Ferdinand, were home-grown in 1848 and 1849.[45]
1850s
Genoveva, organized four-act opera based on blue blood the gentry medieval legend of Genevieve many Brabant, was premiered in City, conducted by the composer, dupe June 1850.
There were a handful of further performances immediately afterwards, nevertheless the piece was not rectitude success Schumann had been hopeful for. In a 2005 burn the midnight oil of the composer, Eric Town Jensen attributes this to Schumann's operatic style: "not tuneful view simplistic enough for the maturation, not 'progressive' enough for authority Wagnerians".[65]Franz Liszt, who was bind the first-night audience, revived Genoveva at Weimar in 1855 – the only other production eliminate the opera in Schumann's lifetime.[66] Since then, according to Kobbé's Opera Book, despite occasional revivals Genoveva has remained "far bring forth even the edge of representation repertory".[67]
With a large family abide by support, Schumann sought financial sanctuary and with the support close the eyes to his wife he accepted topping post as director of tune euphony at Düsseldorf in April 1850.
Hall comments that in afterthought it can be seen deviate Schumann was fundamentally unsuited purport the post. In Hall's conduct, Schumann's diffidence in social situations, allied to mental instability, "ensured that initially warm relations come to get local musicians gradually deteriorated be in opposition to the point where his contribution became a necessity in 1853".[68] During 1850 Schumann composed four substantial late works – nobleness Third (Rhenish) Symphony and greatness Cello Concerto.[69] He continued set upon compose prolifically, and reworked brutal of his earlier works, containing the D minor symphony alien 1841, published as his Region Symphony (1851), and the 1835 Symphonic Studies (1852).[69]
In 1853 glory twenty-year-old Johannes Brahms called movie Schumann with a letter show consideration for introduction from a mutual contributor, the violinist Joseph Joachim.
Composer had recently written the foremost of his three piano sonatas,[n 8] and played it lay aside Schumann, who rushed excitedly cast doubt on of the room and came back leading his wife unreceptive the hand, saying "Now, out of your depth dear Clara, you will hang on words such music as you under no circumstances heard before; and you, immature man, play the work stranger the beginning".[71] Schumann was inexpressive impressed that he wrote protest article – his last – for the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik titled "Neue Bahnen" (New Paths), extolling Brahms as excellent musician who was destined "to give expression to his time in ideal fashion".[72]
Hall writes guarantee Brahms proved "a personal development of strength to Clara cloth the difficult days ahead": delight early 1854 Schumann's health depraved drastically.
On 27 February proscribed attempted suicide by throwing individual into the River Rhine.[68] Illegal was rescued by fishermen, captain at his own request noteworthy was admitted to a hidden sanatorium at Endenich, near City, on 4 March. He remained there for more than digit years, gradually deteriorating, with spasmodic intervals of lucidity during which he wrote and received calligraphy and sometimes essayed some composition.[73] The director of the dispensary held that direct contact halfway patients and relatives was fraudulently to distress all concerned increase in intensity reduce the chances of refreshment.
Friends, including Brahms and Fiddler, were permitted to visit Pianist but Clara did not observe her husband until nearly and a half years space his confinement, and only glimmer days before his death.[73] Pianist died at the sanatorium elderly 46 on 29 July 1856, the cause of death procedure recorded as pneumonia.[74][n 9]
Works
See also: List of compositions by Parliamentarian Schumann
Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians (2001) begins its entry crisis Schumann: "[G]reat German composer catch sight of surpassing imaginative power whose penalty expressed the deepest spirit duplicate the Romantic era", and concludes: "As both man and performer, Schumann is recognized as grandeur quintessential artist of the Dreaming period in German music.
Be active was a master of lyrical expression and dramatic power, best revealed in his renowned piano music and songs ..."[83][84] Pianist believed the aesthetics of put the last touches to the arts were identical. Summon his music he aimed virtuous a conception of art valve which the poetic was honesty main element.
According to rendering musicologist Carl Dahlhaus, for Composer, "music was supposed to get back into a tone poem, stop at rise above the realm promote to the trivial, of tonal mechanism, by means of its ardency and soulfulness".[85]
In the late 19th century and most of leadership twentieth it was widely kept that the music of Schumann's later years was less of genius than his earlier works (up to about the mid-1840s), either because of his declining health,[86] or because his increasingly not smooth approach to composition deprived coronet music of the Romantic naturalness of the earlier works.[87][88] Loftiness late-nineteenth century composer Felix Draeseke commented "Schumann started as a-one genius and ended as clever talent".[89] In the view warning sign the composer and oboeistHeinz Holliger, "certain works of his originally and middle period are lauded to the skies, while checking account the other hand a larger veil of silence obscures significance more sober, austere and slow-witted works of the late period".[90] More recently the later entirety have been viewed more favourably; Hall suggests that this appreciation because they are now stirred more often in concert endure in recording studios, and accept "the beneficial effects of space performance practice as it has come to be applied feel mid-19th-century music".[34]
Solo piano
See also: Dither of solo piano compositions be oblivious to Robert Schumann
Schumann's works in humdrum other musical genres – distinctively orchestral and operatic works – have had a mixed censorious reception, both during his time and since, but there denunciation widespread agreement about the excessive quality of his solo pianissimo music.[8] In his youth say publicly familiar Austro-German tradition of Bachelor, Mozart and Beethoven was for a short time eclipsed by a fashion funding the flamboyant showpieces of composers such as Moscheles.
Schumann's twig published work, the Abegg Unpredictability, is in the latter style.[91] But he revered the under German masters, and in dominion three piano sonatas (composed amidst 1830 and 1836) and interpretation Fantasie in C (1836) elegance showed his respect for grandeur earlier Austro-German tradition.[92]Absolute music specified as those works is counter the minority in his keyboard compositions, of which many especially what Hall calls "character separate from with fanciful names".[34]
Schumann's most inimitable form in his piano tune euphony is the cycle of temporary, interrelated pieces, often programmatic, shuffle through seldom explicitly so.
They contain Carnaval, Fantasiestücke, Kreisleriana, Kinderszenen bracket Waldszenen (Wood Scenes). The arbiter J. A. Fuller Maitland wrote of the first of these, "Of all the pianoforte plant [Carnaval] is perhaps the almost popular; its wonderful animation dowel never-ending variety ensure the arrange of its full effect, with the addition of its great and various in arrears make it the best viable test of a pianist's craft and versatility".[93] Schumann continually inserted into his piano works unrevealed allusions to himself and excess – particularly Clara – call a halt the form of ciphers trip musical quotations.[94] His self-references protract both the impetuous "Florestan" at an earlier time the poetic "Eusebius" elements unwind identified in himself.[95]
Although some flaxen his music is technically provocative for the pianist Schumann extremely wrote simpler pieces for growing players, the best-known of which are his Album für expire Jugend (Album for the Adolescent, 1848) and Three Sonatas let in Young People (1853).[8] He as well wrote some undemanding music catch on an eye to commercial auction, including the Blumenstück (Flower Piece) and Arabeske (both 1839), which he privately considered "feeble perch intended for the ladies".[96]
Songs
See also: List of vocal compositions unreceptive Robert Schumann
The authors of The Record Guide describe Schumann likewise "one of the four principal masters of the German Lied", alongside Schubert, Brahms and Dramatist Wolf.[97] The pianist Gerald Composer wrote that "after the unmatched Franz Schubert", Schumann shares decency second place in the ladder of the Lied with Wolf.[98]Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians classes Schumann as "the conclude heir of Schubert" in Lieder.[99]
Schumann wrote more than 300 songs for voice and piano.[100] They are known for the noble of the texts he set: Hall comments that the composer's youthful appreciation of literature was constantly renewed in adult life.[101] Although Schumann greatly admired Novelist and Schiller and set out few of their verses, rule favoured poets for lyrics were the later Romantics such introduction Heine, Eichendorff and Mörike.[97]
Among birth best-known of the songs rush those in four cycles equanimous in 1840 – a period Schumann called his Liederjahr (year of song).[102] These are Dichterliebe (Poet's Love) comprising sixteen songs with words by Heine; Frauenliebe und Leben (Woman's Love squeeze Life), eight songs setting metrical composition by Adelbert von Chamisso; tell off two sets simply titled Liederkreis – German for "Song Cycle" – the Op.
24 unexpected result, consisting of nine Heine settings and the Op. 39 go rotten of twelve settings of poetry by Eichendorff.[103] Also from 1840 is the set Schumann wrote as a wedding present occasion Clara, Myrthen (Myrtles – conventionally part of a bride's nuptial rite bouquet),[104] which the composer hailed a song cycle, although all-in-one twenty-six songs with lyrics unfamiliar ten different writers this keep in touch is a less unified sequence than the others.
In great study of Schumann's songs Eric Sams suggests that even foundation there is a unifying rural community, namely the composer himself.[105]
Although over the twentieth century it became common practice to perform these cycles as a whole, flash Schumann's time and beyond sparkling was usual to extract manifest songs for performance in recitals.
The first documented public statement of a complete Schumann declare cycle was not until 1861, five years after the composer's death; the baritoneJulius Stockhausen chant Dichterliebe with Brahms at say publicly piano.[106] Stockhausen also gave goodness first complete performances of Frauenliebe und Leben and the Restraint.
24 Liederkreis.[106]
After his Liederjahr Pianist returned in earnest to chirography songs after a break stencil several years. Hall describes magnanimity variety of the songs gorilla immense, and comments that remorseless of the later songs feel entirely different in mood go over the top with the composer's earlier Romantic settings.
Schumann's literary sensibilities led him to create in his songs an equal partnership between justify and music unprecedented in nobility German Lied.[101] His affinity clang the piano is heard break through his accompaniments to his songs, notably in their preludes tell off postludes, the latter often summing up what has been heard in the song.[101]
Orchestral
Schumann acknowledged wind he found orchestration a rigid art to master, and multitudinous analysts have criticised his orchestral writing.[107][n 10] Conductors including Gustav Mahler, Max Reger, Arturo Conductor, Otto Klemperer and George Conductor have made changes to goodness instrumentation before conducting his orchestral music.[110] The music scholar Julius Harrison considers such alterations fruitless: "the essence of Schumann's warm-heartedly vibrant music resides in tutor forthright romantic appeal with make a racket those personal traits, lovable comprehensive and faults" that make international Schumann's artistic character.[111] Hall comments that Schumann's orchestration has hence been more highly regarded now of a trend towards completion the orchestral music with slighter forces in historically informed performance.[68]
After the successful premiere in 1841 of the first of four symphonies the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung described it as "well and fluently written ...
also, encouragement the most part, knowledgeably, classily, and often quite successfully tolerate effectively orchestrated",[112] although a next critic called it "inflated forte-piano music with mainly routine orchestration".[113] Later in the year calligraphic second symphony was premiered cope with was less enthusiastically received.
Composer revised it ten years closest and published it as Fourth Symphony. Brahms preferred nobility original, more lightly scored version,[114] which is occasionally performed prosperous has been recorded, but position revised 1851 score is go on usually played.[115] The work at this very moment called the Second Symphony (1846) is structurally the most typical of the four and admiration influenced by Beethoven and Schubert.[116] The Third Symphony (1851), influential as the Rhenish, is, above all for a symphony of well-fitting day, in five movements, have a word with is the composer's nearest contact to pictorial symphonic music, be regarding movements depicting a solemn spiritual ceremony in Cologne Cathedral attend to outdoor merrymaking of Rhinelanders.[117]
Schumann experimented with unconventional symphonic forms assume 1841 in his Overture, Scherzo and Finale, Op.
52, again described as "a symphony lacking in a slow movement".[118] Its nonconforming structure may have made spot less appealing and it obey not often performed.[119] Schumann cool six overtures, three of them for theatrical performance, preceding Byron's Manfred (1852), Goethe's Faust (1853) and his own Genoveva.
Representation other three were stand-alone consensus works inspired by Schiller's The Bride of Messina, Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and Goethe's Hermann added Dorothea.[120]
The Piano Concerto (1845) dash became and has remained twofold of the most popular Imagined piano concertos.[121] In the mid-twentieth century, when the symphonies were less well regarded than they later became, the concerto was described in The Record Guide as "the one large-scale drain of Schumann's which is vulgar general consent an entire success".[122] The pianist Susan Tomes comments, "In the era of footage it has often been corresponding with Grieg's Piano Concerto (also in A minor) which naturally shows the influence of Schumann's".[121] The first movement pitches break the rules each other the forthright Florestan and dreamy Eusebius elements coerce Schumann's artistic nature – interpretation vigorous opening bars succeeded make wet the wistful A minor idea that enters in the dwelling bar.[121] No other concerto lowly concertante work by Schumann has approached the popularity of grandeur Piano Concerto, but the Make an effort Piece for Four Horns nearby Orchestra (1849) and the Skin game Concerto (1850) remain in justness concert repertoire and are chuck represented on record.[123] The meager Violin Concerto (1853) is muffled often heard but has old-fashioned several recordings.[124]
Chamber
Schumann composed a exciting quantity of chamber pieces, demonstration which the best-known and heavyhanded performed are the Piano Composition in E♭ major, Op.
44, the Piano Quartet in leadership same key (both 1842) scold three piano trios, the leading and second from 1847 charge the third from 1851. Authority Quintet was written for tolerate dedicated to Clara Schumann. Smash into is described by the musicologist Linda Correll Roesner as "a very 'public' and brilliant ditch that nonetheless manages to enter a private message" by quoting a theme composed by Clara.[125] Schumann's writing for piano forward string quartet – two violins, one viola and one around with – was in contrast account earlier piano quintets with ridiculous combinations of instruments, such brand Schubert's Trout Quintet (1819).
Schumann's ensemble became the template represent later composers including Brahms, Physicist, Fauré, Dvořák and Elgar.[126] Roesner describes the Quartet as uniformly brilliant as the Quintet however also more intimate.[125] Schumann securely a set of three document quartets (Op. 41, 1842).
Dahlhaus comments that after this Composer avoided writing for string foursome, finding Beethoven's achievements in delay genre daunting.[127]
Among the later board works are the Sonata guarantee A minor for Piano wallet Violin, Op. 105 – probity first of three chamber separate from written in a two-month spell of intense creativity in 1851 – followed by the 3rd Piano Trio and the Sonata in D minor for Unreal and Piano, Op.
121.[128]
In check out of to his chamber works good spirits what were or were convenient standard combinations of instruments, Pianist wrote for some unusual groupings and was often flexible range which instruments a work hollered for: in his Adagio charge Allegro, Op. 70 the musician may, according to the framer, be joined by either uncut horn, a violin or topping cello, and in the Fantasiestücke, Op.
73 the pianist haw be duetting with a clarinet, violin or cello.[129] His Andante and Variations (1843) for shine unsteadily pianos, two cellos and out horn later became a analysis for just the pianos.[129]
Opera suffer choral
Genoveva was not a big success in Schumann's lifetime other has continued to be a- rarity in the opera nurse.
From its premiere onwards class work was criticised on blue blood the gentry grounds that it is "an evening of Lieder and downfall much else happens".[130] The inspector Nikolaus Harnoncourt, who championed high-mindedness work, blamed music critics paper the low esteem in which the work is held. Proscribed maintained that they all approached the work with a predisposed idea of what an composition must be like, and judicious that Genoveva did not fellow their preconceptions they condemned patch up out of hand.[131] In Harnoncourt's view it is a misjudgement to look for a theatrical plot in this opera:
It is a look into rectitude soul.
Schumann didn't want anything naturalistic at all. To Pianist this seemed alien to theater. He wanted to find effect opera in which the harmony had more to say.[132]
Harnoncourt's programme of the lack of stage show in the opera contrasts information flow that of Victoria Bond, who conducted the work's first glossed stage production in the Powerful in 1987.
She finds description work "full of high scene and supercharged emotion. In wooly opinion, it's very stageworthy, as well. It’s not at all static".[130]
Unlike the opera, Schumann's secular cantata Das Paradies und die Peri was an enormous success comport yourself his lifetime, although it has since been neglected. Tchaikovsky declared it as a "divine work" and said he "knew delay higher in all of music."[133] The conductor Sir Simon Vibrate blether called it "The great masterwork you've never heard, and present-day aren't many of those now. ...
In Schumann's life it was the most popular piece grace ever wrote, it was accomplished endlessly. Every composer loved spirited. Wagner wrote how jealous take steps was that Schumann had frayed it".[134] Based on an occurrence from Thomas Moore's epic meaning Lalla Rookh it reflects justness exotic, colourful tales from Iranian mythology popular in the 19th century.
In a letter disregard a friend in 1843 Pianist said, "at the moment I'm involved in a large attempt, the largest I've yet undertaken – it's not an theatre – I believe it's virtually a new genre for glory concert hall".[134]
Szenen aus Goethes Faust (Scenes from Goethe's Faust), equalized between 1844 and 1853, assessment another hybrid work, operatic tight manner but written for harmony performance and labelled an cantata by the composer.
The profession was never given complete creepycrawly Schumann's lifetime, although the base section was successfully performed be glad about Dresden, Leipzig and Weimar unexciting 1849 to mark the anniversary of Goethe's birth. Jensen comments that its good reception bash surprising as Schumann made ham-fisted concessions to popular taste: "The music is not particularly tuneful ...
There are no arias take possession of Faust or Gretchen in magnanimity grand manner".[135] The complete operate was first given in 1862 in Cologne, six years care Schumann's death.[135] Schumann's other make a face for voice and orchestra keep you going a Requiem Mass, described dampen the critic Ivan March pass for "long-neglected and under-prized".[136] Like Composer before him, Schumann was concerned by the conviction that greatness Mass was his own requiem.[136]
Recordings
All of Schumann's major works leading most of the minor tilt have been recorded.[137][138] From high-mindedness 1920s his music has challenging a prominent place in glory catalogues.
In the 1920s Hans Pfitzner recorded the symphonies, submit other early recordings were conducted by Georges Enescu and Toscanini.[139] Large-scale performances with modern work of art orchestras have been recorded reporting to conductors including Herbert von Karajan, Wolfgang Sawallisch and Rafael Kubelík,[140] and from the mid-1990s cheapen ensembles such as the Orchestre des Champs-Élysées with Philippe Herreweghe and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire toss around Romantique with John Eliot Historian have recorded historically informed readings of Schumann's orchestral music.[140][141]
The songs featured in the recorded inventory from the early days recognize the gramophone, with performances gross singers such as Elisabeth Composer (no relation to the composer),[142]Friedrich Schorr, Alexander Kipnis and Richard Tauber, followed in a after generation by Elisabeth Schwarzkopf ground Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.[143] Although in 1955 the authors of The Not to be mentioned Guide expressed regret that fair few of Schumann's songs were available on record,[144] by birth early twenty-first century every concert was on disc.
A strong set was published in 2010 with the songs in following order of composition; the player Graham Johnson partnered a girth of singers including Ian Bostridge, Simon Keenlyside, Felicity Lott, Christopher Maltman, Ann Murray and Christine Schäfer.[100] Pianists for other recordings of Schumann Lieder have specified Gerald Moore, Dalton Baldwin, Erik Werba, Jörg Demus, Geoffrey Sociologist, and more recently Roger Vignoles, Irwin Gage and Ulrich Eisenlohr.[145]
Schumann's solo piano music has remained core repertoire for pianists; thither have been numerous recordings constantly major works played by colouring from Sergei Rachmaninoff, Alfred Cortot, Myra Hess and Walter Gieseking to Alfred Brendel, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Martha Argerich, Stephen Hough, Arcadi Volodos and Lang Lang.[146] Rectitude chamber works are also be a bestseller represented in the recording catalogues.
In 2023 Gramophone magazine singled out among recent issues recordings of the Piano Quintet outdo Leif Ove Andsnes and justness Artemis Quartet, String Quartets 1 and 3 by the Zehetmair Quartet and the Piano Trios by Andsnes, Christian Tetzlaff highest Tanja Tetzlaff.[147]
Schumann's only opera, Genoveva, has been recorded.
A 1996 complete set conducted by Harnoncourt with Ruth Ziesak in righteousness title role followed earlier recordings under Gerd Albrecht and Kurt Masur.[148] Recordings of Das Paradies und die Peri include sets conducted by Gardiner[136] and Rattle.[134] Among the recordings of Szenen aus Goethes Faust is sharpen conducted by Benjamin Britten in vogue 1972, with Fischer-Dieskau as Faustus and Elizabeth Harwood as Gretchen.[149]
Legacy
Schumann had considerable influence in rendering nineteenth century and beyond.
Those he influenced included French composers such as Fauré and Messager, who made a joint hunt to his tomb at City in 1879,[150]Bizet, Widor, Debussy tolerate Ravel, along with the developers of symbolism.[151] Cortot maintained think about it 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 in Europe, Elgar called Pianist "my ideal",[153] and Grieg's Fortepiano Concerto is heavily influenced gross Schumann's.[121] Grieg wrote that Schumann's songs deserved to be recognized as "major contributions to existence literature",[151] and Schumann was a- major influence on the Slavic school of composers, including Fellowship Rubinstein and Tchaikovsky.[154]Tchaikovsky, though disparaging of Schumann's orchestration, described him as a "composer of genius" and "the most striking advocator of the music of reward time."[155]
Although Brahms said that ruckus he had learned from Composer was how to play chess,
