Tenth Muse Preview | Robert Schumann and his Muse
- Leah Froyd
- Jan 18
- 4 min read
Happy New Year! Welcome back to our Insight Previews. Over the next few weeks we’ll cover the composers and poets who we will showcase in Tenth Muse, our upcoming concert series featuring work by and about women. Use the link below for tickets and information about the cycle!
Robert Schumann and his Muse
Robert Schumann (1810-1856) was a German pianist and composer during the romantic period. Many of his most famous works were either written for or edited by his wife, Clara Schumann (née Wieck). She was an exceptional pianist and composer, and we will focus more on her next week!.
Schumann began studying piano at age 6 and was inspired by artists from the generation before him like Franz Schubert. Music became his life long love— though he went to college to study law. His piano and composition studies often eclipsed his academic work, especially when he was able to study with the famous piano pedagogue, Friedrich Wieck.
Over the course of his studies, Robert injured his right hand forcing him to dedicate more of his time to composition. He was particularly productive in the 1830s and he wrote many piano miniatures during this time.
This piano miniature is titled “Des Abends” (Evenings) and is part of his larger work Fantasiestücke (Op. 12). Listen for the way the melodic line is interwoven with the accompaniment. This “busy” accompaniment gives the otherwise calm melody a bit of motion. In my mind it represents a gentle breeze. The pianist’s job is then to maintain the illusion of tranquility by keeping the melody connected despite the interjections of the accompaniment.
The melodic line itself is quite long and yearning. It always comes from above and meanders its way down the scale. Usually when a motif like this appears it is alluding to a sigh or prolonged exhalation— the accompaniment and title of the work being “Fantasy Pieces” also gives it a dream-like feeling. The articulations and dynamics never shift too abruptly.
Clara Wieck, Friedrich’s daughter, was ever-present in Robert’s life since the beginning of his piano studies with her father. Clara was an impressive pianist and composer in her own right and quickly became Robert’s muse and editor.
Robert and Clara had a 9-10 year age difference and Clara’s father Friedrich forbade the marriage between the two. He didn’t have confidence in Robert’s stability and capacity for hard work. He often arranged for Clara to be on musical tours in an effort to keep a degree of distance between her and Robert. Against the wishes of Clara’s father, the two were eventually married in 1840, the day before Clara’s 21st birthday.
After their marriage Clara began managing his career and persuaded Robert to begin composing for larger ensembles in order to widen his fame as a composer. In 1841, he published his first symphony and by the mid 1840s he had developed a large catalogue of symphonic and choir works.
In 1844, Robert suffered from a serious psychotic breakdown. The remaining years of his life were spent in and out of mental institutions and “lunatic asylums” to treat aural hallucinations, progressive paralysis, and suicidal attempts.
Throughout Robert and Clara’s lives, they saw some success in touring in large concert halls— however I would argue that their biggest impact took place in the private residences of patrons like Ferdinand Hiller and in their own home. Logistically, these performances were also much easier for Robert and Schumann to participate in given his sporadic medical episodes. The salon concerts also provided a reliable performance space for the Schumann’s chamber music— including the song cycle you will hear in February, Frauenlibe und Leben!
By performing in and hosting soirées and salons, Robert and Clara built many friendships and creative partnerships with artists of all disciplines. In their circle were visual artists Eduard Bendemann, Julius Hübner and Ernst Rietschel; writers like Robert Reinick, Berthold Auerbach and Karl Gutzkow; and the musicians Richard Wagner, Albert Dietrich, Joseph Joachim, and Johannes Brahms.
This tradition of collaboration between different mediums of art has been highly influential on artists of every generation. Insight hopes to continue this same sense of camaraderie into 2026 and beyond!
Further Listening...
One of my favorite pieces of chamber music ever is the third movement from Schumann’s Piano Quartet Op. 47. Right away, Schumann introduces us to the main theme: a ballad with large leaps in the melody signifying great emotional upheaval and unrest despite the very soothing accompaniment by the piano, violin, and viola.
As the theme is developed and passed through the different instruments, we notice the same technique Schumann used in Des Abends — weaving the melody with a busier accompaniment creating an undercurrent of motion and development of the original idea.
The ending is also incredibly clever— Schumann stacks each instrument one by one to create a brand new and simple texture whose harmony resolves the tension that had been built up throughout the rest of the movement.
The F-A-E “Frei aber einsam” Sonata is a perfect encapsulation of the collaborative nature between Schumann and the other composers and performers of the salons. Each movement was composed by a different composer (Dietrich Movement 1, Schumann Movements 2 & 4, Brahms Movement 3). The entire work was given as a gift to the famous violinist and friend of the Schumanns, Joseph Joachim. The musical motto, the notes F-A-E, became an origin point for each of the composers to sculpt their movements around.
Although they composed each of their movements separately, you can still hear their close mentorship and inspiration shared amongst them. There is a clear sense of virtuosity demanded from both the the performers and composers through dense harmonies, imitation, and very active melodies.
Tasked with the finale of the work, Schumann’s writing in this movement is in a constant balancing act between authoritative and decisive motifs versus a lyrical melody— perhaps a look inside his relationship with his younger colleagues/mentees: insisting his own authority of composition while also participating the spirit of camaraderie.
To hear more of the Schumann’s work (both Robert and Clara), join us this February for our upcoming concert cycle, Tenth Muse!
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