Robert Schumann

Robert Schumann (German: Robert Schumann, German pronunciation: [ˈʁoːbɛʁt ˈʃuːman]; June 8, 1810 – July 29, 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and music critic who was active in the early Romantic period. He composed in all the major musical genres of the time, writing for solo piano, voice and piano, chamber music groups, orchestra, choir, and opera. His works embody and represent the romantic zeitgeist in German music. Schumann was born in Zwickau, Saxony, to a wealthy, middle-class family, but had no connection with music. He was initially unsure whether he should pursue a career in law or make a living as a pianist and composer. He studied law at the universities of Leipzig and Heidelberg, but his main interests were always music and Romantic literature. Starting in 1829, he studied piano with Friedrich Wieck, but as the condition of his right hand worsened, his hopes of becoming a master of piano technique were dashed, and he instead focused on composition. His early works were mainly piano pieces, including the large-scale suite "Carnival", "Dances of the David League", "Fantasia", "Kreisler's Notes", and "Scenes from Childhood" (1834-1838). In 1834, he co-founded the "New Music Magazine" and served as editor for ten years. In magazine articles and music compositions, he distinguished two opposite sides of his personality, naming the two alter egos the impulsive Florestan and the gentle and poetic Eusebius. Although Schumann's teacher Vik strongly believed that he was not the right match for his daughter Clara, Schumann still married her in 1840. In the years after his wedding, Schumann was extremely prolific in composition. He first wrote a large number of songs and vocal suites, including "Woman's Love and Life" and "The Poet's Love". In 1841, he turned his attention to orchestral music and completed the first of four symphonies. The following year, he focused on chamber music and wrote three string quartets, a piano quintet, and a piano quartet. During the remainder of the 1840s, in between bouts of mental and physical health problems, he composed various piano solos and other works, and toured Europe with his wife. His only opera, Gnolfeva (1850), was not a success and has rarely been staged since. In 1850, the Schumann family moved to Dusseldorf, hoping that his position as music director of the city would lead to