Schumann was born at Zwickau,
Saxony, June 8, 1810, and died at Endernich, near Bonn, July 29, 1856. He wrote
his first composition in 1817, when he was studying under Kuntsche and
Marienkirsche. He studied law at Leipsic in 1828, and a year later he went to
Heidelberg. In 1830 he overcame parental opposition and commenced to study piano
under Friedrich Wieck. The next year, however, he injured his hand and forsook
piano playing for composition. In 1834 he founded his famous paper, Neue
Zeitschrift fur Musik. He lived, in Vienna for a while, but finally returned to
Leipsic, and in 1840 married Clara Wieck, the daughter of his former teacher, in
face of tremendous opposition from her father. This love match is one of the
most romantic episodes in musical history. In the year following his wedding he
composed over one hundred songs. In 1843 he was appointed professor of
pianoforte playing and composition at Leipsic, when the conservatory was opened
by Mendelssohn, but gave this up in order to go to Dresden. In 1850 his opera,
Genoveva, was produced in Liepsic, but without much success. In 1851 indications
of insanity made their appearance. Compositions typical of his genius are the G
minor symphony, and the Carnival music for piano. His Traumerei is tremendously
popular as a short piece, whilst his songs Widmung and Der Nussbaum are
immortal. He was one of the greatest of all composers.
Robert
Alexander Schumann