Born in 1810 in Zwickau, Saxony, Schumann was the son of a bookseller, publisher and writer. Immersed in literature from an early age, he wanted to become both a poet and a musician. He initially studied law but soon abandoned it to pursue music in Leipzig, where he learnt piano with Friedrich Wieck. An injury to his right hand ended his hopes of a career as a concert pianist, turning his focus instead to composition.
During the 1830s, Schumann developed a distinctive musical language through works such as Papillons (1829–1831), Carnaval (1834–1835), Fantasiestücke (1837) and Kreisleriana (1838). The composer’s music often drew on imagined characters, literary references and contrasting states of mind, reflecting his fascination with the relationship between music and poetry. In 1834, he founded the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, using the music journal to champion composers including Frédéric Chopin and Johannes Brahms.
Despite Friedrich Wieck’s fierce opposition, Schumann married Friedrich’s daughter Clara in 1840. A brilliant pianist in her own right, Clara often performed Schumann's music. From 1840, he turned increasingly towards song, producing an extraordinary series of Lieder, before expanding into chamber music, symphonies and choral works. His later years were increasingly marked by periods of mental and emotional distress, and in 1854 he was admitted to a private asylum in Endenich, near Bonn. He died in 1856.
Schumann’s music remains celebrated today for its embodiment of the Romantic fascination with poetry, imagination and the inner life, securing his place among the major composers of the 19th century.
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Autograph music manuscript of the song 'Der Sandmann', op.79 no.13, [Dresden, 1849]
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Autograph manuscript of the partsong 'Der traurige Jäger' (op.75 no.8), [Dresden, 1849]