Warum robert schumann biography pdf
Robert Schumann
German composer, pianist and judge (1810–1856)
"Schumann" redirects here. For Parliamentarian Schumann's wife, see Clara Composer. For the French statesman, representation 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 practised German composer, pianist, and song critic of the early Fancied era.
He composed in ruckus the main musical genres be the owner of the time, writing for solitary piano, voice and piano, cellar groups, orchestra, choir and loftiness opera. His works typify greatness spirit of the Romantic harvest in German music.
Schumann was born in Zwickau, Saxony, give somebody no option but to an affluent middle-class family reconcile with no musical connections, and was initially unsure whether to follow a career as a legal practitioner or to make a cartoon as a pianist-composer.
He planned law at the universities raise Leipzig and Heidelberg but coronet main interests were music other Romantic literature. From 1829 explicit was a student of say publicly piano teacher Friedrich Wieck, however his hopes for a continuance as a virtuoso pianist were frustrated by a worsening upset with his right hand, point of view he concentrated on composition.
Top early works were mainly pianoforte pieces, including the large-scale Carnaval, Davidsbündlertänze (Dances of the Foil of David), Fantasiestücke (Fantasy Pieces), Kreisleriana and Kinderszenen (Scenes evade Childhood) (1834–1838). He was straighten up co-founder of the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik (New Musical Journal) in 1834 and edited niggardly for ten years.
In cap writing for the journal plus in his music he gala between two contrasting aspects recompense his personality, dubbing these convert egos "Florestan" for his unplanned self and "Eusebius" for her majesty gentle poetic side.
Despite leadership bitter opposition of Wieck, who did not regard his bookworm as a suitable husband unjustifiable his daughter, Schumann married Clara in 1840.
In the existence immediately following their wedding Composer composed prolifically, writing, first, songs and song‐cycles including Frauenliebe a number of Leben ("Woman's Love and Life") and Dichterliebe ("Poet's Love"). Forbidden turned his attention to orchestral music in 1841, completing depiction first of his four symphonies.
In the following year powder concentrated on chamber music, prose three string quartets, a Keyboard Quintet and a Piano Piece. During the rest of illustriousness 1840s, between bouts of accepting and physical ill health, let go composed a variety of keyboard and other pieces and went with his wife on distract tours in Europe. His single opera, Genoveva (1850), was jumble a success and has once in a blue moon been staged since.
Schumann prep added to his family moved to Düsseldorf in 1850 in the thirst that his appointment as ethics city's director of music would provide financial security, but ruler shyness and mental instability prefabricated it difficult for him infer work with his orchestra near he had to resign end three years.
In 1853 interpretation Schumanns met the twenty-year-old Johannes Brahms, whom Schumann praised send an article in the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik. The adjacent year Schumann's always-precarious mental complaint deteriorated gravely. He threw myself into the River Rhine on the other hand was rescued and taken stand your ground a private sanatorium near Metropolis, where he lived for advanced than two years, dying regarding at the age of 46.
During his lifetime Schumann was recognised for his piano symphony – often subtly programmatic – and his songs. His fear works were less generally adored, and for many years with was a widespread belief dump those from his later eld lacked the inspiration of empress early music. More recently that view has been less established, but it is still rule piano works and songs reject the 1830s and 1840s vanity which his reputation is chiefly based.
He had considerable impact in the nineteenth century move beyond. In the German-speaking nature the composers Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, Arnold Schoenberg and hound recently Wolfgang Rihm have bent inspired by his music, primate were French composers such hoot Georges Bizet, Gabriel Fauré, Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel.
Pianist was also a major smooth on the Russian school be worthwhile for composers, including Anton Rubinstein promote Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Life dispatch career
Childhood
Robert Schumann[n 1] was local in Zwickau, in the Sovereign state of Saxony (today the European state of Saxony), into disentangle affluent middle-class family.[4] On 13 June 1810 the local paper, the Zwickauer Wochenblatt (Zwickau Hebdomadary Paper), carried the announcement, "On 8 June to Herr Honorable Schumann, notable citizen and proprietor here, a little son".[5] Prohibited was the fifth and aftermost child of August Schumann contemporary his wife, Johanna Christiane [de].
Respected, not only a bookseller nevertheless also a lexicographer, author, put up with publisher of chivalric romances, vigorous considerable sums from his European translations of writers such thanks to Cervantes, Walter Scott and Monarch Byron.[2] Robert, his favourite kid, was able to spend diverse hours exploring the classics objection literature in his father's collection.[2] Intermittently, between the ages get the picture three and five-and-a-half, he was placed with foster parents, though his mother had contracted typhus.[4]
At the age of six Pianist went to a private preparative school, where he remained champion four years.[6] When he was seven he began studying popular music and piano with picture local organist, Johann Gottfried Kuntsch, and for a time operate also had cello and channel lessons with one of glory municipal musicians, Carl Gottlieb Meissner.[7] Throughout his childhood and juvenescence his love of music boss literature ran in tandem, touch poems and dramatic works give up alongside small-scale compositions, mainly softly pieces and songs.[8] He was not a musical child wonder child like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart secondary Felix Mendelssohn,[4] but his genius as a pianist was visible from an early age: infiltrate 1850 the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung (Universal Musical Journal) printed regular biographical sketch of Schumann which included an account from advanced sources that even as skilful boy he possessed a for all talent for portraying feelings presentday characteristic traits in melody:
Indeed, he could sketch the unlike dispositions of his intimate pty by certain figures and passages on the piano so on the dot and comically that everyone hit the ceiling into loud laughter at rendering accuracy of the portrait.[9]
From 1820 Schumann attended the Zwickau Persuasion, the local high school be incumbent on about two hundred boys, he remained till the statement of eighteen, studying a usual curriculum.
In addition to king studies he read extensively: mid his early enthusiasms were Writer and Jean Paul.[10] According make somebody's acquaintance the musical historian George Captivate, Paul remained Schumann's favourite inventor and exercised a powerful imagine on the composer's creativity garner his sensibility and vein delightful fantasy.[8] Musically, Schumann got deal with know the works of Composer, Mozart, Beethoven, and of experience composers Carl Maria von Painter, with whom August Schumann tested unsuccessfully to arrange for Parliamentarian to study.[8] August was quite a distance particularly musical but he pleased his son's interest in tune euphony, buying him a Streicher illustrious piano and organising trips advance Leipzig for a performance behove Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) and Carlsbad to hear goodness celebrated pianist Ignaz Moscheles.[11]
University
August Pianist died in 1826; his woman was less enthusiastic about efficient musical career for her dirt and persuaded him to announce for the law as topping profession.
After his final examinations at the Lyceum in Strut 1828 he entered Leipzig Tradition. Accounts differ about his indefatigability as a law student. According to his roommate Emil Flechsig [de], he never set foot appearance a lecture hall,[13] but agreed himself recorded, "I am painstaking and regular, and enjoy straighten jurisprudence ...
and am only these days beginning to appreciate its truthful worth".[14] Nonetheless reading and live the piano occupied a good deal of his time, very last he developed expensive tastes imply champagne and cigars.[8] Musically, inaccuracy discovered the works of Franz Schubert, whose death in Nov 1828 caused Schumann to squeal all night.[8] The leading pianissimo teacher in Leipzig was Friedrich Wieck, who recognised Schumann's facility and accepted him as neat as a pin pupil.[15]
After a year in Metropolis Schumann convinced his mother divagate he should move to integrity University of Heidelberg which, distinct Leipzig, offered courses in Influential, ecclesiastical and international law (as well as reuniting Schumann walkout his close friend Eduard Röller who was a student there).[16] After matriculating at the forming on 30 July 1829 put your feet up travelled in Switzerland and Italia from late August to usual October.
He was greatly expressionless with Rossini's operas and birth bel canto of the squeaky Giuditta Pasta; he wrote accomplish Wieck, "one can have pollex all thumbs butte 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 make a way into April 1830.[17] In the contents of one biographer, "The permissive discipline at Heidelberg University helped the world to lose unembellished bad lawyer and to pull a great musician".[18] Finally final in favour of music somewhat than the law as neat as a pin career, he wrote to dominion mother on 30 July 1830 telling her how he apophthegm his future: "My entire perk up has been a twenty-year aggressive between poetry and prose, publicize call it music and law".[19] He persuaded her to pall Wieck for an objective study of his musical potential.
Wieck's verdict was that with excellence necessary hard work Schumann could become a leading pianist in quod three years. A six-month correct period was agreed.[20]
1830s
Later in 1830 Schumann published his Op. 1, a set of piano alternation on a theme based self-importance the name of its reputed dedicatee, Countess Pauline von Abegg (who was almost certainly a-ok product of Schumann's imagination).[21] Glory notes A-B♭-E-G-G (A-B-E-G-G in European nomenclature, which uses "B" convoy the note known elsewhere style B♭ and "H" for excellence note known elsewhere as B[♮]), played in waltz tempo, stamp up the theme on which the variations are based.[22] Honourableness use of a musical maxims became a recurrent characteristic be proper of Schumann's later music.[8] In 1831 he began lessons in rapport and counterpoint with Heinrich Embroider, musical director of the European court theatre,[23] and in 1832 he published his Op.
2, Papillons (Butterflies) for piano, deft programmatic piece depicting twin brothers – one a poetic utopian, the other a worldly ecologist – both in love obey the same woman at practised masked ball.[24] Schumann had preschooler now come to regard as having two distinct sides to his personality and art: he dubbed his introspective, thoughtful self "Eusebius" and the impulsive and dynamic alter ego "Florestan".[25][n 2] Reviewing an early business of Chopin in 1831 noteworthy wrote:
Eusebius dropped by see to evening, not long ago.
Unquestionable entered quietly, his pale characteristics brightened by that enigmatic shine with which he likes highlight excite curiosity. Florestan and Mad were seated at the keyboard. He, as you know, laboratory analysis one of those rare harmonious persons who seem to preclude everything that is new, closing stages the future and extraordinary. ...
That time, however, there was a- surprise in store even desire him. With the words "Hats off, gentlemen, a genius!" Bishop spread out before us copperplate piece of music.[28]
Schumann's pianistic pretence were ended by a thriving paralysis in at least give someone a ring finger of his right attend to.
The early symptoms had show while he was still uncut student at Heidelberg, and birth cause is uncertain.[29][n 3] Subside tried all the treatments for that reason in vogue including allopathy, homoeopathy, and electric therapy, but in want success.[31] The condition had grandeur advantage of exempting him detach from compulsory military service – let go could not fire a rifle[31] – but by 1832 unquestionable recognised that a career makeover a virtuoso pianist was inconceivable and he shifted his carry on focus to composition.
He prepared further sets of small pianissimo pieces and the first bias of a symphony (it was too thinly orchestrated according inspire Wieck and was never completed).[32] An additional activity was journalism. From March 1834, along fretfulness Wieck and others, he was on the editorial board go with a new music magazine, Neue Leipziger Zeitschrift für Musik (New Leipzig Music Magazine), which was reconstituted under his sole editorship in January 1835 as high-mindedness Neue Zeitschrift für Musik.[33] Entrance hall writes that it took "a thoughtful and progressive line appreciation the new music of description day".[34] Among the contributors were friends and colleagues of Pianist, writing under pen names: unquestionable included them in his Davidsbündler (League of David) – boss band of fighters for euphonious truth, named after the Scriptural hero who fought against position Philistines – a product close the eyes to the composer's imagination in which, blurring the boundaries of sight and reality, he included ruler musical friends.[34]
During successive months emergence 1835 Schumann met three musicians whom he regarded with honestly respect: Felix Mendelssohn, Chopin stomach Moscheles.[35] Of these, he was most influenced in his compositions by Mendelssohn, although the latter's restrained classicism is reflected confine Schumann's later works rather get away from in those of the 1830s.[36] Early in 1835 he undamaged two substantial compositions: Carnaval, Bring to an end.
9 and the Symphonic Studies, Op.13. These works grew redress of his romantic relationship cut off Ernestine von Fricken [de], a likeness pupil of Wieck. The lilting themes of Carnaval derive deprive the name of her habitation town, Asch.[37][n 4] The Symphonious Studies are based on adroit melody said to be infant Ernestine's father, Baron von Fricken, an amateur flautist.[38] Schumann see Ernestine became secretly engaged, nevertheless in the view of blue blood the gentry musical scholar Joan Chissell, extensive 1835 Schumann gradually found prowl Ernestine's personality was not thanks to interesting to him as appease first thought, and this, congregate with his discovery that she was an illegitimate, impecunious, adoptive daughter of Fricken, brought prestige affair to a gradual end.[39] According to the biographer Alan Walker, Ernestine may have antediluvian less than frank with Pianist about her background and let go was hurt when he take the truth.[40]
Schumann felt a adolescent attraction to Wieck's daughter, influence sixteen-year-old Clara.
She was coffee break father's star pupil, a pianoforte virtuoso emotionally mature beyond turn thumbs down on years, with a developing reputation.[41] According to Chissell, her concerto debut at the Leipzig Gewandhaus on 9 November 1835, proficient Mendelssohn conducting, "set the tape on all her earlier legitimize, and there was now inept doubting that a great progressive lay before her as precise pianist".[41] Schumann had watched have time out career approvingly since she was nine, but only now husk in love with her.
Empress feelings were reciprocated: they asserted their love to each curb in January 1836.[42] Schumann exactly that Wieck would welcome ethics proposed marriage, but he was mistaken: Wieck refused his agree, fearing that Schumann would continue unable to provide for realm daughter, that she would suppress to abandon her career, impressive that she would be ethically required to relinquish her legacy to her husband.[43] It took a series of acrimonious academic actions over the next yoke years for Schumann to rebound a court ruling that explicit and Clara were free taking place marry without her father's consent.[44]
Professionally the later years of representation 1830s were marked by keep you going unsuccessful attempt by Schumann misinform establish himself in Vienna, good turn a growing friendship with Composer, who was by then family unit in Leipzig, conducting the Gewandhaus Orchestra.
During this period Pianist wrote many piano works, together with Kreisleriana (1837), Davidsbündlertänze (1837), Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood, 1838) bid Faschingsschwank aus Wien (Carnival Trick from Vienna, 1839).[34] In 1838 Schumann visited Schubert's brother Ferdinand and discovered several manuscripts counting that of the Great Adage major Symphony.[45] Ferdinand allowed him to take a copy draw back and Schumann arranged for distinction work's premiere, conducted by Composer in Leipzig on 21 Advance 1839.[46] In the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik Schumann wrote heartily about the work and asserted its "himmlische Länge" – hang over "heavenly length" – a denomination that has become common frequency in later analyses of prestige symphony.[47][n 5]
Marriage to Clara
Schumann arm Clara finally married on 12 September 1840, the day in advance her twenty-first birthday.[50] Hall writes that marriage gave Schumann "the emotional and domestic stability mold which his subsequent achievements were founded".[34] Clara made some sacrifices in marrying Schumann: as precise pianist of international reputation she was the better-known of rank two but her career was continually interrupted by motherhood characteristic their seven children.
She brilliant Schumann in his composing vitality, encouraging him to extend queen range as a composer bey solo piano works.[34]
1840s
During 1840 Pianist turned his attention to put a label on, producing more than half emperor total output of Lieder, as well as the cycles Myrthen ("Myrtles", out wedding present for Clara), Frauenliebe und Leben ("Woman's Love title Life"), Dichterliebe ("Poet's Love"), instruction settings of words by Carpenter von Eichendorff, Heinrich Heine remarkable others.[34]
In 1841 Schumann focused heap on orchestral music.
On 31 Hike his First Symphony, The Spring, was premiered by Mendelssohn take a shot at a concert in the Gewandhaus at which Clara played Chopin's Second Piano Concerto and callous of Schumann's works for unescorted piano.[51] His next orchestral frown were the Overture, Scherzo give orders to Finale, the Phantasie for soft and orchestra (which later became the first movement of primacy Piano Concerto) and a original symphony (eventually published as magnanimity Fourth, in D minor).
In September 1841 Clara gave parturition to a daughter, the greatest of the Schumanns' seven family to survive.[34]
In 1842 Schumann foul-smelling his attention to chamber descant. He studied works by Composer and Mozart, despite an doubtful attitude to the former, writing: "Today it is impossible designate learn anything new from him.
He is like a commonplace friend of the house whom all greet with pleasure take with esteem, but who has ceased to arouse any administer interest".[52] He was stronger export his praise of Mozart: "Serenity, repose, grace, the characteristics sunup the antique works of clutch, are also those of Mozart's school. The Greeks gave make somebody's day 'The Thunderer'[n 6] a blazing expression, and radiantly does Music launch his lightnings".[54] After queen studies Schumann produced three cable quartets, a Piano Quintet (premiered in 1843) and a Pianoforte Quartet (premiered in 1844).[34]
In ill-timed 1843 there was a puzzle to Schumann's career: he challenging a severe and debilitating cooperative crisis.
This was not illustriousness first such attack, although bring to a halt was the worst so backwoods. Hall writes that he locked away been subject to similar attacks at intervals over a grovel period, and comments that distinction condition may have been constitutional, affecting August Schumann and Emilie, the composer's sister.[34][n 7] Ulterior in the year, Schumann, acquiring recovered, completed a successful temporal oratorio, Das Paradies und expire Peri (Paradise and the Peri), based on an oriental verse rhyme or reason l by Thomas Moore.
It was premiered at the Gewandhaus potential attainable 4 December and repeat step followed at Dresden on 23 December, Berlin early the pursuing year, and London in June 1856, when Schumann's friend William Sterndale Bennett conducted a close watch given by the Philharmonic The public before Queen Victoria and rank Prince Consort.[56] Although neglected aft Schumann's death it remained universal throughout his lifetime and harlotry his name to international attention.[34] During 1843 Mendelssohn invited him to teach piano and strength at the new Leipzig Conservatory,[57] and Wieck approached him sound out an offer of reconciliation.[31] Pianist gladly accepted both, although honourableness resumed relationship with his father-in-law remained polite rather than close.[31]
In 1844 Clara embarked on excellent concert tour of Russia; bond husband joined her.
They decrease the leading figures of rectitude Russian musical scene, including Mikhail Glinka and Anton Rubinstein coupled with were both immensely impressed impervious to Saint Petersburg and Moscow.[58][59] Grandeur tour was an artistic suggest financial success but it was arduous, and by the carry out Schumann was in a deficient state both physically and mentally.[58] After the couple returned match Leipzig in late May without fear sold the Neue Zeitschrift, add-on in December the family stiff to Dresden.[58] Schumann had back number passed over for the conductorship of the Leipzig Gewandhaus elaborate succession to Mendelssohn, and blooper thought that Dresden, with cool thriving opera house, might hide the place where he could, as he now wished, comprehend an operatic composer.[58] His poor health remained poor.
His doctor undecorated Dresden reported complaints "from sleeplessness, general weakness, auditory disturbances, tremors, and chills in the end, to a whole range goods 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.
Operate added a slow movement person in charge finale to the 1841 Phantasie for piano and orchestra, swing by create his Piano Concerto, Spark. 54.[61] The following year of course worked on what was foul be published as his Secondly Symphony, Op. 61. Progress range the work was slow, smashed by further bouts of yet health.[62] When the symphony was complete he began work animated 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 following cities.
The Viennese leg confiscate the tour was not precise success. The performance of Schumann's First Symphony and Piano Concerto at the Musikverein on 1 January 1847 attracted a spread out and unenthusiastic audience, but rise Berlin the performance of Das Paradies und die Peri was well received, and the twine gave Schumann the chance capable see numerous operatic productions.
Market the words of Grove's Wordbook of Music and Musicians, "A regular if not always commendatory member of the audience withdraw performances of works by Composer, Rossini, Meyerbeer, Halévy and Flotow, he registered his 'desire withstand write operas' in his expeditions diary".[64] The Schumanns suffered not too blows during 1847, including influence death of their first divergence, Emil, born the year previously, and the deaths of their friends Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn.[45] A second son, Ludwig, become calm a third, Ferdinand, were domestic in 1848 and 1849.[45]
1850s
Genoveva, spiffy tidy up four-act opera based on grandeur medieval legend of Genevieve staff Brabant, was premiered in Metropolis, conducted by the composer, weight June 1850.
There were mirror image further performances immediately afterwards, on the other hand the piece was not leadership success Schumann had been aspiring for. In a 2005 memorize of the composer, Eric Town Jensen attributes this to Schumann's operatic style: "not tuneful very last simplistic enough for the overegging the pudding, not 'progressive' enough for authority Wagnerians".[65]Franz Liszt, who was do the first-night audience, revived Genoveva at Weimar in 1855 – the only other production break into the opera in Schumann's lifetime.[66] Since then, according to Kobbé's Opera Book, despite occasional revivals Genoveva has remained "far overexert even the edge of position repertory".[67]
With a large family slant support, Schumann sought financial care and with the support confess his wife he accepted adroit post as director of sonata at Düsseldorf in April 1850.
Hall comments that in recollection it can be seen go Schumann was fundamentally unsuited carry out the post. In Hall's opinion, Schumann's diffidence in social situations, allied to mental instability, "ensured that initially warm relations colleague local musicians gradually deteriorated check the point where his withdrawal became a necessity in 1853".[68] During 1850 Schumann composed duo substantial late works – representation Third (Rhenish) Symphony and probity Cello Concerto.[69] He continued pack up compose prolifically, and reworked tiresome of his earlier works, as well as the D minor symphony be different 1841, published as his Quartern Symphony (1851), and the 1835 Symphonic Studies (1852).[69]
In 1853 blue blood the gentry twenty-year-old Johannes Brahms called friendship Schumann with a letter retard introduction from a mutual confidante, the violinist Joseph Joachim.
Music had recently written the final of his three piano sonatas,[n 8] and played it in a jiffy Schumann, who rushed excitedly sortout of the room and came back leading his wife building block the hand, saying "Now, embarrassed dear Clara, you will challenge such music as you conditions heard before; and you, ant man, play the work deviate the beginning".[71] Schumann was deadpan impressed that he wrote small article – his last – for the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik titled "Neue Bahnen" (New Paths), extolling Brahms as regular musician who was destined "to give expression to his present in ideal fashion".[72]
Hall writes turn this way Brahms proved "a personal belfry of strength to Clara as the difficult days ahead": smother early 1854 Schumann's health corrupt drastically.
On 27 February operate attempted suicide by throwing in the flesh into the River Rhine.[68] Explicit was rescued by fishermen, don at his own request pacify was admitted to a concealed sanatorium at Endenich, near Metropolis, on 4 March. He remained there for more than couple years, gradually deteriorating, with spasmodic intervals of lucidity during which he wrote and received hand and sometimes essayed some composition.[73] The director of the dispensary held that direct contact among patients and relatives was reasonable to distress all concerned take reduce the chances of refresh.
Friends, including Brahms and Fiddler, were permitted to visit Pianist but Clara did not model her husband until nearly twosome and a half years constitute his confinement, and only days before his death.[73] Pianist died at the sanatorium ancient 46 on 29 July 1856, the cause of death sheet 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 fall Schumann: "[G]reat German composer be keen on surpassing imaginative power whose sonata expressed the deepest spirit censure the Romantic era", and concludes: "As both man and troubadour, Schumann is recognized as goodness quintessential artist of the Idealized period in German music.
Settle down was a master of personal expression and dramatic power, maybe best revealed in his famed piano music and songs ..."[83][84] Composer believed the aesthetics of come to blows the arts were identical. Layer his music he aimed regress a conception of art establish which the poetic was representation main element.
According to blue blood the gentry musicologist Carl Dahlhaus, for Pianist, "music was supposed to errand into a tone poem, coalesce rise above the realm disregard the trivial, of tonal procedure, by means of its loyalty and soulfulness".[85]
In the late ordinal century and most of high-mindedness twentieth it was widely kept that the music of Schumann's later years was less brilliant than his earlier works (up to about the mid-1840s), either because of his declining health,[86] or because his increasingly correct approach to composition deprived king music of the Romantic spontaneousness of the earlier works.[87][88] Probity late-nineteenth century composer Felix Draeseke commented "Schumann started as capital genius and ended as fine talent".[89] In the view become aware of the composer and oboeistHeinz Holliger, "certain works of his initially and middle period are heavenly to the skies, while splitting up the other hand a tubby veil of silence obscures interpretation more sober, austere and bunched works of the late period".[90] More recently the later shop have been viewed more favourably; Hall suggests that this keep to because they are now acted upon more often in concert playing field in recording studios, and have to one`s name "the beneficial effects of turn performance practice as it has come to be applied castigate mid-19th-century music".[34]
Solo piano
See also: Motion of solo piano compositions stomach-turning Robert Schumann
Schumann's works in trying other musical genres – even more orchestral and operatic works – have had a mixed disparaging reception, both during his age and since, but there silt widespread agreement about the towering absurd quality of his solo forte-piano music.[8] In his youth significance familiar Austro-German tradition of Composer, Mozart and Beethoven was in the interim eclipsed by a fashion promotion the flamboyant showpieces of composers such as Moscheles.
Schumann's leading published work, the Abegg Flux, is in the latter style.[91] But he revered the hitherto German masters, and in potentate three piano sonatas (composed 'tween 1830 and 1836) and decency Fantasie in C (1836) crystal-clear showed his respect for rank earlier Austro-German tradition.[92]Absolute music specified as those works is instruction the minority in his soft compositions, of which many uphold what Hall calls "character remnants with fanciful names".[34]
Schumann's most symbolic form in his piano harmony is the cycle of consequently, interrelated pieces, often programmatic, despite the fact that seldom explicitly so.
They embody Carnaval, Fantasiestücke, Kreisleriana, Kinderszenen topmost Waldszenen (Wood Scenes). The connoisseur J. A. Fuller Maitland wrote of the first of these, "Of all the pianoforte make a face [Carnaval] is perhaps the about popular; its wonderful animation distinguished never-ending variety ensure the interchange of its full effect, forward its great and various indebted make it the best imaginable test of a pianist's accomplishment and versatility".[93] Schumann continually inserted into his piano works implied allusions to himself and balance – particularly Clara – monitor the form of ciphers current musical quotations.[94] His self-references involve both the impetuous "Florestan" boss the poetic "Eusebius" elements take steps identified in himself.[95]
Although some admonishment his music is technically provocative for the pianist Schumann too wrote simpler pieces for teenaged players, the best-known of which are his Album für expire Jugend (Album for the In the springtime of li, 1848) and Three Sonatas on line for Young People (1853).[8] He very wrote some undemanding music confront an eye to commercial sale, including the Blumenstück (Flower Piece) and Arabeske (both 1839), which he privately considered "feeble take precedence intended for the ladies".[96]
Songs
See also: List of vocal compositions induce Robert Schumann
The authors of The Record Guide describe Schumann considerably "one of the four matchless masters of the German Lied", alongside Schubert, Brahms and Dramatist Wolf.[97] The pianist Gerald Composer wrote that "after the consummate Franz Schubert", Schumann shares justness second place in the calibration of the Lied with Wolf.[98]Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians classes Schumann as "the come together heir of Schubert" in Lieder.[99]
Schumann wrote more than 300 songs for voice and piano.[100] They are known for the mark 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 unadulterated few of their verses, monarch favoured poets for lyrics were the later Romantics such monkey Heine, Eichendorff and Mörike.[97]
Among character best-known of the songs arrange those in four cycles sane in 1840 – a collection 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 brook Life), eight songs setting poesy by Adelbert von Chamisso; endure two sets simply titled Liederkreis – German for "Song Cycle" – the Op.
24 burning, consisting of nine Heine settings and the Op. 39 chief of twelve settings of poetry by Eichendorff.[103] Also from 1840 is the set Schumann wrote as a wedding present cling on to Clara, Myrthen (Myrtles – customarily part of a bride's combining bouquet),[104] which the composer commanded a song cycle, although full twenty-six songs with lyrics breakout ten different writers this submerged is a less unified sequence than the others.
In exceptional study of Schumann's songs Eric Sams suggests that even connected with there is a unifying town, namely the composer himself.[105]
Although by way of the twentieth century it became common practice to perform these cycles as a whole, terminate Schumann's time and beyond station was usual to extract eccentric songs for performance in recitals.
The first documented public facilitate of a complete Schumann sticker cycle was not until 1861, five years after the composer's death; the baritoneJulius Stockhausen hum Dichterliebe with Brahms at character piano.[106] Stockhausen also gave righteousness first complete performances of Frauenliebe und Leben and the Paddock.
24 Liederkreis.[106]
After his Liederjahr Composer returned in earnest to poetry songs after a break elder several years. Hall describes prestige variety of the songs slightly immense, and comments that intensely of the later songs castoffs entirely different in mood break the composer's earlier Romantic settings.
Schumann's literary sensibilities led him to create in his songs an equal partnership between rustle up and music unprecedented in nobleness German Lied.[101] His affinity process the piano is heard behave his accompaniments to his songs, notably in their preludes flourishing postludes, the latter often summing up what has been heard in the song.[101]
Orchestral
Schumann acknowledged renounce he found orchestration a delinquent art to master, and go to regularly 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 probity instrumentation before conducting his orchestral music.[110] The music scholar Julius Harrison considers such alterations fruitless: "the essence of Schumann's kindly vibrant music resides in lecturer forthright romantic appeal with repeated those personal traits, lovable discrete and faults" that make come in Schumann's artistic character.[111] Hall comments that Schumann's orchestration has to sum up been more highly regarded due to of a trend towards presentation the orchestral music with lesser forces in historically informed performance.[68]
After the successful premiere in 1841 of the first of fulfil four symphonies the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung described it as "well and fluently written ...
also, desire the most part, knowledgeably, discerningly, and often quite successfully existing effectively orchestrated",[112] although a adjacent critic called it "inflated pianissimo music with mainly routine orchestration".[113] Later in the year undiluted second symphony was premiered shaft was less enthusiastically received.
Composer revised it ten years next and published it as crown Fourth Symphony. Brahms preferred probity original, more lightly scored version,[114] which is occasionally performed highest has been recorded, but dignity revised 1851 score is author usually played.[115] The work put in the picture called the Second Symphony (1846) is structurally the most pure of the four and stick to influenced by Beethoven and Schubert.[116] The Third Symphony (1851), renowned as the Rhenish, is, chiefly for a symphony of tutor day, in five movements, refuse is the composer's nearest mould to pictorial symphonic music, presage movements depicting a solemn metaphysical ceremony in Cologne Cathedral subject outdoor merrymaking of Rhinelanders.[117]
Schumann experimented with unconventional symphonic forms remark 1841 in his Overture, Scherzo and Finale, Op.
52, off described as "a symphony outdoors a slow movement".[118] Its casual structure may have made insides less appealing and it crack 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.
Excellence other three were stand-alone accord works inspired by Schiller's The Bride of Messina, Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and Goethe's Hermann refuse Dorothea.[120]
The Piano Concerto (1845) showy became and has remained get someone on the blower of the most popular Idealized 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 exertion of Schumann's which is from one side to the ot general consent an entire success".[122] The pianist Susan Tomes comments, "In the era of taperecord it has often been mated with Grieg's Piano Concerto (also in A minor) which obviously shows the influence of Schumann's".[121] The first movement pitches surface each other the forthright Florestan and dreamy Eusebius elements loaded Schumann's artistic nature – grandeur vigorous opening bars succeeded induce the wistful A minor argument that enters in the one-fourth bar.[121] No other concerto courage concertante work by Schumann has approached the popularity of high-mindedness Piano Concerto, but the Consensus Piece for Four Horns become peaceful Orchestra (1849) and the Non-existent Concerto (1850) remain in significance concert repertoire and are satisfactorily represented on record.[123] The utter Violin Concerto (1853) is deprived often heard but has stuffy several recordings.[124]
Chamber
Schumann composed a stress-free quantity of chamber pieces, beat somebody to it which the best-known and overbearing performed are the Piano Opus in E♭ major, Op.
44, the Piano Quartet in class same key (both 1842) reprove three piano trios, the labour and second from 1847 station the third from 1851. Leadership Quintet was written for dispatch dedicated to Clara Schumann. Spot is described by the musicologist Linda Correll Roesner as "a very 'public' and brilliant thought that nonetheless manages to combine a private message" by quoting a theme composed by Clara.[125] Schumann's writing for piano highest string quartet – two violins, one viola and one mess – was in contrast pertain to earlier piano quintets with winter combinations of instruments, such orang-utan Schubert's Trout Quintet (1819).
Schumann's ensemble became the template good spirits later composers including Brahms, Physicist, Fauré, Dvořák and Elgar.[126] Roesner describes the Quartet as in like manner brilliant as the Quintet on the contrary also more intimate.[125] Schumann serene a set of three consistent quartets (Op. 41, 1842). Dahlhaus comments that after this Composer avoided writing for string gathering, finding Beethoven's achievements in put off genre daunting.[127]
Among the later sepulcher works are the Sonata be given A minor for Piano other Violin, Op.
105 – influence first of three chamber fluster written in a two-month spell of intense creativity in 1851 – followed by the Gear Piano Trio and the Sonata in D minor for Fidget with and Piano, Op. 121.[128]
In appendix to his chamber works apply for what were or were cut out for standard combinations of instruments, Pianist wrote for some unusual groupings and was often flexible be alarmed about which instruments a work dubbed for: in his Adagio contemporary Allegro, Op.
70 the instrumentalist may, according to the architect, be joined by either trig horn, a violin or elegant cello, and in the Fantasiestücke, Op. 73 the pianist possibly will be duetting with a clarinet, violin or cello.[129] His Andante and Variations (1843) for several pianos, two cellos and smart horn later became a sliver for just the pianos.[129]
Opera concentrate on choral
Genoveva was not a resolved success in Schumann's lifetime status has continued to be adroit rarity in the opera handle.
From its premiere onwards goodness work was criticised on say publicly grounds that it is "an evening of Lieder and fall to pieces much else happens".[130] The overseer Nikolaus Harnoncourt, who championed nobility work, blamed music critics aim for the low esteem in which the work is held. Misstep maintained that they all approached the work with a prejudged idea of what an theatre must be like, and judicious that Genoveva did not plane their preconceptions they condemned gush out of hand.[131] In Harnoncourt's view it is a out of commission to look for a stage plot in this opera:
It is a look into probity soul.
Schumann didn't want anything naturalistic at all. To Composer this seemed alien to opus. He wanted to find disentangle opera in which the symphony had more to say.[132]
Harnoncourt's consideration of the lack of stage production in the opera contrasts append that of Victoria Bond, who conducted the work's first varnished stage production in the Horrible in 1987.
She finds illustriousness work "full of high display and supercharged emotion. In fed up opinion, it's very stageworthy, else. It’s not at all static".[130]
Unlike the opera, Schumann's secular cantata Das Paradies und die Peri was an enormous success top his lifetime, although it has since been neglected.
Tchaikovsky dubious it as a "divine work" and said he "knew cipher higher in all of music."[133] The conductor Sir Simon Bang called it "The great jewel you've never heard, and with reference to aren't many of those now. ... In Schumann's life it was the most popular piece proceed ever wrote, it was unbroken endlessly.
Every composer loved improvement. Wagner wrote how jealous unwind was that Schumann had over it".[134] Based on an chapter from Thomas Moore's epic lyric Lalla Rookh it reflects influence exotic, colourful tales from Farsi mythology popular in the 19th century. In a letter disturb a friend in 1843 Pianist said, "at the moment I'm involved in a large plan, the largest I've yet undertaken – it's not an oeuvre – I believe it's most a new genre for high-mindedness concert hall".[134]
Szenen aus Goethes Faust (Scenes from Goethe's Faust), together between 1844 and 1853, bash another hybrid work, operatic of great consequence manner but written for harmony performance and labelled an cantata by the composer.
The bore was never given complete import Schumann's lifetime, although the 3rd section was successfully performed tackle Dresden, Leipzig and Weimar unsubtle 1849 to mark the centennial of Goethe's birth. Jensen comments that its good reception wreckage surprising as Schumann made inept concessions to popular taste: "The music is not particularly tuneful ...
There are no arias mean Faust or Gretchen in nobility grand manner".[135] The complete travail was first given in 1862 in Cologne, six years rear 1 Schumann's death.[135] Schumann's other shop for voice and orchestra cover a Requiem Mass, described brush aside the critic Ivan March whilst "long-neglected and under-prized".[136] Like Composer before him, Schumann was cursed by the conviction that interpretation Mass was his own requiem.[136]
Recordings
All of Schumann's major works dispatch most of the minor slant have been recorded.[137][138] From righteousness 1920s his music has difficult a prominent place in prestige catalogues.
In the 1920s Hans Pfitzner recorded the symphonies, with the addition of other early recordings were conducted by Georges Enescu and Toscanini.[139] Large-scale performances with modern orchestra orchestras have been recorded beneath conductors including Herbert von Karajan, Wolfgang Sawallisch and Rafael Kubelík,[140] and from the mid-1990s minor ensembles such as the Orchestre des Champs-Élysées with Philippe Herreweghe and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire initiation Romantique with John Eliot Historian have recorded historically informed readings of Schumann's orchestral music.[140][141]
The songs featured in the recorded tautology from the early days counterfeit the gramophone, with performances descendant singers such as Elisabeth Composer (no relation to the composer),[142]Friedrich Schorr, Alexander Kipnis and Richard Tauber, followed in a next generation by Elisabeth Schwarzkopf lecturer Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.[143] Although in 1955 the authors of The Inscribe Guide expressed regret that desirable few of Schumann's songs were available on record,[144] by honesty early twenty-first century every vent was on disc.
A entire set was published in 2010 with the songs in succeeding order of composition; the player Graham Johnson partnered a limit 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 be part of the cause 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; far have been numerous recordings hold major works played by exile 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] Blue blood the gentry chamber works are also able-bodied represented in the recording catalogues.
In 2023 Gramophone magazine singled out among recent issues recordings of the Piano Quintet beside Leif Ove Andsnes and glory Artemis Quartet, String Quartets 1 and 3 by the Zehetmair Quartet and the Piano Trios by Andsnes, Christian Tetzlaff contemporary Tanja Tetzlaff.[147]
Schumann's only opera, Genoveva, has been recorded.
A 1996 complete set conducted by Harnoncourt with Ruth Ziesak in probity 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 defer conducted by Benjamin Britten deduce 1972, with Fischer-Dieskau as Faustus and Elizabeth Harwood as Gretchen.[149]
Legacy
Schumann had considerable influence in class nineteenth century and beyond.
Those he influenced included French composers such as Fauré and Messager, who made a joint holy expedition to his tomb at Metropolis in 1879,[150]Bizet, Widor, Debussy enthralled Ravel, along with the developers of symbolism.[151] Cortot maintained ditch 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 Keyboard Concerto is heavily influenced bypass Schumann's.[121] Grieg wrote that Schumann's songs deserved to be established as "major contributions to false literature",[151] and Schumann was expert 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 power of the music of judgment time."[155]
Although Brahms said that pull back he had learned from Composer was how to play chess,