Clara Wieck Schumann, a distinguished German musician and composer of the Romantic era, defied societal norms and enjoyed a successful career in a male-dominated field. With her exceptional talent as a pianist, she revolutionized the piano format and repertoire throughout her six-decade-long career. From a young age, Clara was groomed for success by her ambitious father, receiving extensive training in various musical disciplines. Despite her father’s disapproval, she followed her heart and married Robert Schumann, one of her father’s students. Balancing her roles as a professional, wife, and mother, Clara made significant contributions to the recognition of her husband’s works and left behind her own noteworthy compositions.
Quick Facts
- German Celebrities Born In September
- Died At Age: 76
- Family:
- Spouse/Ex-: Robert Schumann
- Father: Friedrich Wieck
- Mother: Marianne Wieck
- Children: Elise, Emil, Eugenie, Felix, Ferdinand, Julie, Ludwig, Marie
- Composers
- German Women
- Died on: May 20, 1896
- Place of death: Frankfurt, German Empire
- City: Leipzig, Germany
Childhood & Early Life
Clara Josephine Wieck was born on 13 September 1819 into a middle-class family in Leipzig, Germany. Her father Friedrich Wieck was a piano teacher and music dealer and her mother Marianne was a concert pianist. Clara received training in piano, violin, singing, theory, harmony, composition, and counterpoint from a young age. She was a child prodigy and gave her first solo concert at the age of 11.
Career
Clara Wieck Schumann became a sensation in Europe as a child prodigy and travelled extensively, performing before sold-out audiences. She continued performing and composing even after her marriage, which was a rare feat for a woman in the mid-19th century. She gave birth to eight children and somehow managed to balance her domestic duties with her professional career. She achieved great success as a performing pianist and earned a reputation as one of the elite musicians from Germany.
Major Works
Clara Wieck Schumann was more popular as a concert pianist than as a composer, but she left behind a significant body of compositions. Some of her major works include “Quatre Polonaises pour le pianoforte” (1831), “4 Pièces caractéristiques for piano” (1836), “Piano Trio in G minor” (1846), and “Drei romanzen für pianoforte und violine” (1855).
Personal Life & Legacy
Clara Wieck Schumann fell in love with Robert Schumann, an aspiring musician who was her father’s student. Despite her father’s disapproval, they got married in 1840. They had eight children together, but their marriage was plagued with difficulties. Robert suffered from severe mental issues and was eventually committed to an asylum, where he died in 1856. Clara faced numerous tragedies in her personal life, including the deaths of four of her children. She also had to raise some of her grandchildren. She suffered a stroke in 1896 and passed away a few weeks later at the age of 76.