Robert Schumann

This German composer, born in Zwickau in 1810, is one of the typical representatives of Romanticism in music. He was the son of a bookseller, so from an early age he was connected with literature to such an extent that at a certain stage of his life he hesitated between this field of art and music. He was passionate about the literature of artists such as Goethe, Schiller, or Byron.
At the age of 20, he abandoned his law studies to fully dedicate himself to his musical vocation. He studied piano under Friedrich Wieck, unfortunately an unfortunate finger injury prevented him from continuing his career as a pianist. For this reason, he began composing music. In 1834, he founded the 'Neue Zeitschrift für Musik', in which he praised the music of Chopin and Brahms.
When he was 30 years old, he married the daughter of his professor, Clara Josephine Wieck, who became the main performer of his works. During this time, he composed many songs, including 'Song Circle', 'Mirth', 'Love and the Life of a Woman', 'The Poet's Love'. A year after the wedding, the artist focused on creating orchestral music. This is when Symphony No. 1 in B-flat major 'Spring' op. 38 was created. In 1842, he began to mainly create chamber music, composing, among others, the Piano Quintet in E-flat major op. 44. The following year, the conservatory in Leipzig offered Schumann a job, however, the artist rejected it as he felt unable to teach. In 1854, he became the music director in Dusseldorf, but unfortunately, due to a mental illness that accompanied the composer from childhood, he had to resign from the position in 1854. After a suicide attempt, he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Enderich, where he died in 1856.
As for Schumann's piano music, it must be emphasized that they mainly express states of mind and often have a connection with literary texts. The most famous piano works of this composer are: 'Carnaval' op.9, 'Butterflies' op. 2, 'Scenes from Childhood' op. 15, 'Kreisleriana' op. 16, 'Fantasy Pieces' op. 12. Other works by this author worth mentioning are: Piano Concerto in A minor op. 54, Symphony No. 2 in C major op. 61, Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major 'Rhenish' op. 97.