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Robert Schumann's father, August Schumann (1773-1826). Birth ; Education and business apprenticeships ; Literary endeavours ; Marriage (1795) ; Final settlement as bookseller and publisher at Zwickau -- Birth of Robert Schumann. His birthplace Zwickau: notes geographical, historical, and social -- Influence on Robert Schumann of his father and mother respectively. Family friends ; Robert's early general and musical education and achievements ; Kuntzsch ; Death of August Schumann -- Robert Schumann finishes his studies at the lyceum. Survey of his educational equipment ; Rudderless -- Still rudderless. Trip with Rosen to Bayreuth, etc. ; University life at Leipzig, Easter 1828 to Easter 1829 ; Friends and music ; Wiedebein ; Pianoforte lessons with Wieck -- Friedrich Wieck (1785-1873). Birth and education ; Personality ; Teaching method -- Diligence from Leipzig to Frankfurt-on-the-Main: stay of a few days at Frankfurt, a short tour on the Rhine, arrival at Heidelberg on May 21, 1829. Three terms at Heidelberg (summer 1829 to autumn 1830), with autumn holiday in Switzerland and Northern Italy, 1829 ; Thibaut ; Paganini ; Receives his mother's permission about August 1830 to exchange law for music ; After a visit to the lower Rhine, returns in autumn 1830 to Leipzig to devote himself entirely to music -- Schumann's constitutional weakness in money management. The first serious music studies after abandonment of law. Pianoforte playing under Friedrich Wieck and its premature and disastrous interruption, ending with the laming of the right hand ; Composition under Heinrich Dorn with likewise regrettable abrupt conclusion -- His musical and literary companions, acquaintances, friends, and the Leipzig musical milieu generally -- Jean Paulism and romanticism. Ludwig, Schunke, pianist and composer ; Henriette Voigt and her husband, Carl Voigt ; Founding of the Neue Zeitschrift fur Musik, April 1834 ; The "Davidsbundler" -- Schumann's compositions, op. 1 to op. 5, and op. 10. Reception by the music critics of his early publications ; Losses by death of relatives ; His health ; Ernestine von Fricken, a love affair -- Mendelssohn and Schumann: their intercourse and influence on each other. Contemporary virtuosi and composers: Moscheles, David, Sterndale Bennett, etc. -- Schumann's compositions, op. 6 to op. 17. Further contemporary composers and virtuosi: Hirschbach, Verhulst, Gade, Chopin, Henselt, Thalberg, Liszt, etc. -- Robert's struggle for Clara Wieck (1836 to 1840): Wieck's opposition. Carl Banck ; Clara's Vienna, etc., concert tour (October 1837 to May 1838) ; Robert's Vienna visit (September 1838 to March 1839) ; Clara an exile in Paris (February to August, 1839) ; Robert and Clara decide to appeal to law (June 1839) ; Obstacles at last overcome ; Marriage, September 12, 1840 ; Schumann's compositions, opp. 18-23, op. 26, op. 28, and op. 32 -- The second period of Schumann's compositions: the song year, 1840. The Schumann pair after the marriage ; Founding of the Leipzig conservatorium, 1843 ; More of Liszt than Thalberg ; Some singers -- The symphony year, 1841. The chamber music year, 1842 ; Op. 46 and op. 50, 1843 ; The Russian tour ; Schumann gives up editorship of the Neue Zeitschrift fur Musik ; His health breaks down ; Removal from Leipzig to Dresden, December 1844 -- Dresden (1844-1850). Wagner and Schumann ; Ferdinand Hiller and other artists ; Op. 54 ; Faust ; Manfred -- The C major symphony.; Opp. 56, 58, 60, 72, and further Dresden compositions ; Schumann's health ; Dresden reminiscences -- From Dresden to Dusseldorf (1850). Enthusiastic reception and auspicious beginnings ; House-hunting trials ; Music (public and private) in Dusseldorf ; Hiller, and Offenbach ; Artist friends -- Dusseldorf (1850-1854). Schumann as a conductor ; Different points of view ; Tausch: his position and personality -- The official report of the Allgemeine Musikverein by the secretary, the assistant Burgomaster Wilhelm Wortmann -- Last years. Hopes and plans ; The coming of Brahms ; Dusseldorf compositions ; Concert tours ; Increasing illness ; Different accounts of the final catastrophe ; Schumann's death at Endenich ; Reminiscences -- Appendices. Schumanniana, 1884 -- List of Schumann's works, with date of compositions and publication, page references. |
