Robert Schumann was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic of the Romantic era, born on June 8, 1810, in Zwickau, Saxony, Germany. He passed away on July 29, 1856, in Endenich, near Bonn, Prussia, Germany. Schumann is renowned particularly for his piano music, songs (lieder), and orchestral music. Many of his best-known piano pieces were written for his wife, the pianist Clara Schumann.
Schumann’s early years were marked by his father’s influence, who was a bookseller and publisher. He began his musical education at the age of six, studying the piano. In 1827, he came under the musical influence of Austrian composer Franz Schubert and the literary influence of German poet Jean Paul Richter. In the same year, he composed some songs.
Despite initially studying law at the University of Leipzig, Schumann’s passion for music prevailed. He studied the piano seriously with Friedrich Wieck, Clara’s father, and eventually married Clara despite Wieck’s opposition2. Schumann’s early works were mainly piano pieces, including the large-scale “Carnaval” (1834–1835). He co-founded the “Neue Zeitschrift für Musik” (New Musical Journal) in 1834 and edited it for ten years, contributing significantly to music criticism.
His compositions include the “Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54,” “Symphony No. 1 in B-flat Major,” and song cycles such as “Frauenliebe und -leben” and “Dichterliebe.” Schumann turned to orchestral music in 1841, chamber music and choral works in the following years, and his wife Clara premiered many of his works, including the Piano Concerto.
Schumann’s life was troubled by mental health issues, which led to his attempted suicide in 1854 and subsequent confinement in a sanatorium, where he died two years later. His legacy remains significant, as he was one of the most important Romantic composers and a highly regarded music critic, whose deeply personal music reflects the nature of Romanticism.
“The Carnaval owes its origin to a coincidence and is always except three or four pieces constructed essentially on the notes A S C H,…
“The Carnaval owes its origin to a coincidence and is always except three or four pieces constructed essentially on the notes A S C H, the name of a Bohemain town in which I ad a musical lady-friend, and oddly enough, the only musical letters i n my name. I gave them the titles later.” (Robert Schumann to Ignaz Moscheles, September 22, 1838)
The present edition is based on the music text of the Gesamtausgabe of Robert Schumanns works, edited by Clara Schumann together with Johannes Brahms and others between 1879 und 1893. This publication is almost entirely free from arbitrary alterations in the text. A few obvious errors were eliminated after a thorough comparison with the first edition.
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