Clara Josephine (Wieck) Schumann (1819 - 1896)

Born 13 Sep 1819 in Leipzig, Sachsen, Germany

Ancestors

Wife of Robert Schumann — married 12 Sep 1840 in Schönefeld, Leipzig, Sachsen, Germany

Died 20 May 1896 at age 76 in Frankfurt am Main, Hessen, Germany

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Biography

Clara (Wieck) Schumann has German Roots.

Clara (Wieck) Schumann is Notable.

Clara was a child prodigy (trained by her father) - musician, composer, and considered one of the most distinguished pianists of the Romantic era. She performed for six decades on the center stages in whole Europe.^[1] Many of her compositions are available for purchase at this link.^[2] The link in the next source contains a free listen on YouTube.

From ABC.net.au news: "But perhaps her most enduring legacy is that she invented the classical piano recital.
Recitals, where people bought tickets to hear a pianist or violinist perform in a public auditorium, were a new concept in the 19th century, but then so was the very notion of classical music. Clara Schumann did more than anyone to popularise both."^[3]

Born in 1819 in Leipzig, she was the daughter of composer Johann Gottlob Friedrich Wieck and vocalist and composer Mariane, née Tromlitz.^[1]

When she was only five years old, her parents divorced and she remained with her father. Her mother remarried and moved away, which limited time spent with her mother from then on. Clara spent most of her early childhood in Leipzig. Her father planned her entire career out at a young age, starting her piano training at age 4. She stayed in Leipzig until around the age of 11, when she began a series of performances across Europe, which continued many years.

More from ABC.au.net news:

"As the author of a book on piano technique, Friedrich required his daughter to be a perfect exemplar, says Frances Falling, a singer, musicologist and research assistant at the Schumann-Haus in Leipzig.

'Apparently he was quite tyrannical at times,' Falling tells RN's The Music Show.

'He had a very clear vision for what he wanted Clara to do, to be; he designed very carefully her days and took over all aspects of her life for a good 10 years, even writing her diary for her.'

From her father's protege to her husband's collaborator

As Friedrich's protege, Clara didn't disappoint. She made her public debut in Leipzig just after her ninth birthday.

Soon, a law student, Robert Schumann, heard her play and was so impressed by the young girl, he decided to devote his life to music. He asked Friedrich for lessons and became the Wiecks' lodger."^[3]

In 1835, Robert Schumann, who was nearly 10 years older than Clara, fell in love with her. In 1837 he asked her father for her hand in marriage. Her father did not feel the marriage was in her best interests, so he refused. In 1839 Robert and Clara agreed they would have to go to court to sue for permission to marry. They were finally granted permission on 1 Aug 1840. Clara married Robert Schumann on 12 Sep 1840.^[4][5]

Robert and Clara had 8 children together:^[1]

1. Marie (1841-1929),
2. Elise (1843-1928),
3. Julie (1845-1872),
4. Emil (1846-1847),
5. Ludwig (1848-1899),
6. Ferdinand (1849-1891),
7. Eugenie (1851-1938),
8. Felix (1854-1879).

Robert attempted suicide in 1854 and was voluntarily committed to an asylum as a result. Due to the restrictions, Clara was not allowed to visit her husband, but their good friend Johannes Brahms was given permission. Brahms visited Robert often, and consoled Clara after the unfortunate news that Robert's condition was not improving. After 2 years in the asylum and when the doctors acknowledged that he was dying, they allowed Clara to visit. Robert barely recognized her, and two days after her visit, he passed away on 29 Jul 1856.^[5][6]

She continued to perform, also together with their friend Johannes Brahms and violin player Joseph Joachim. She toured many times with Joseph and they performed well together. In 1874, she began experiencing pain, and the doctor advised her to cancel her tours and take time off. It would be more than a year later before she was able to resume her tours in 1875. However, she had a relapse and spent another six months in 1875 back in recovery. Her tours continued for some time until 1883, when she fell and injured her hand. Ever the quintessential performer, she finished her concert with the injury and received high praise for the incredible quality of her performance that day. She began to withdraw from performances about 1888 and began teaching. She last performed in a concert in 1891 and stopped teaching in 1892.

She passed away in 1896 in Frankfurt am Main, Hessen, Germany, likely from complications due to a stroke she had a few months prior. She was buried at Alter Friedhof in Bonn next to her husband.^[7]

Her achievements as a composer and editor are not as well known as her accomplishments on the concert stage.^{[1][8][9][10]}

An image of Clara Schumann from an 1835 lithograph by Andreas Staub was featured on the 100 Deutsche Mark banknote from 1989 to 2002.^[11]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} English Wikipedia article on Clara Schumann
2. ↑ https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7957071--clara-schumann-and-her-family?country=US&currency=USD&gclid=Cj0KCQjwtZH7BRDzARIsAGjbK2Y8azyKaq3OR16CeoJCPn4N34cYkgX7Ur1WFp4Ke3IH4k3T0Qu4zJ0aAinMEALw_wcB
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-02/clara-schumann-invented-classical-recital-changed-music-forever/11645650
4. ↑ https://www.schumann-portal.de/Biography_Robert.html
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} German Wikipedia article on Clara Schumann
6. ↑ https://onlineexhibits.library.yale.edu/s/clara-schumann/page/robert-schumann-johannes-brahms
7. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 19 September 2020), memorial page for Clara Schumann (13 Sep 1819–20 May 1896), Find A Grave: Memorial #1146, citing Alter Friedhof, Bonn, Stadtkreis Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany; Maintained by Find A Grave.
8. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Clara_Schumann
9. ↑ Reich, Nancy B.. Clara Schumann. The Artist and the Woman. Cornell University Press, 2001, p. 211
10. ↑ Schumann, Clara (Josefine), geb. Wieck. In: Sophie Drinker Institut für musikwissenschaftliche Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung
11. ↑ Deutsche Bundesbank: DM banknotes, BBK3 series

See also:

• Wikidata: Item Q132232, en:Wikipedia
• http://www.theomolberg.de/frameSchumann.html

Acknowledgements

• Loretta Morrison, Morrison-4392 updated biography and sources 20 Sept, 2020.
• Thank you for additional help with information biography and references to Melanie Paul, Paul-5413 and Scott Fulkerson, Fulkerson-232.