Piano Concerto, Opus 7, by Clara Schumann; performed by Francesco Nicolosi. Clara Wieck Schumann was Robert Schumann's wife and fellow pianist and composer. Her performing skills were famous during her lifetime. After her husband's nervous breakdown and suicide attempt he had to be interned in an insane asylum, where he remained for the last two years of his life. Clara took care of raising their children while supporting the household through her concerts and tours to England and many other places in Europe. As a child she lived with her father, who was a piano performer and teacher. Her parents had divorced after her mother, who was a famous singer named Marianne Tromlitz, had an affair with one of her father's friends, named Adolf Bargiel. Subsequently her mother married Aldof and Clara, then 5 years old remained with her father, who taught her music, piano, violin, and other instruments, as well as composition and counterpoint. She studied and practice for 3 hours daily with her father, and by sge 8 was considered a child prodigy and gave her first concert in Leipzig. In her household roomed another student of her father, nine years her senior, Robert Schumann, and a strong bond of friendship developed between the two. By the time Clara was 18, Robert, now 27 had fallen in love with her and proposed marriage. Clara accepted, but her father opposed the relationship, since he did not approve of Robert. The two young lovers took Clara's father to court and the judge agreed with them, granting them the permission to marry, over her father's opposition. Clara and Robert had a loving relationship mutually beneficial to both careers. They admired each other greatly, and supported each other in everything they did. Unfortunately Robert began to suffer from mental illness, and in 1854 had a final mental breakdown, which left him incapacitated. Clara had to assume the support of the household. She suffered much tragedy in her life. In addition to her husband's madness two of her four children died before her, one also going insane like his father. Clara even had to take over the raising of some of her grandchildren when one of her sons became incapacitated. Late in Robert's life a young musician named Johannes Brahms had come to them with a letter of recommendation from another musician friend (Franz Liszt I believe). Both Robert and Clara befriended Brahms, and he was very supportive of Clara after Robert's sickness. Although a love affair between them could have materialized after Schumann's death, Brahms was not comfortable making a commitment to a relationship with any woman, apparently suffering from some degree of misogyny, although he remained a strong friend for life. Clara was an outstanding performing, but she was also a composer of great talent, as this work demonstrates. Gabe Meruelo.
Piano Concerto, Opus 7, by Clara Schumann; performed by Francesco Nicolosi. Clara Wieck Schumann was Robert Schumann's wife and fellow pianist and composer. Her performing skills were famous during her lifetime. After her husband's nervous breakdown and suicide attempt he had to be interned in an insane asylum, where he remained for the last two years of his life. Clara took care of raising their children while supporting the household through her concerts and tours to England and many other places in Europe. As a child she lived with her father, who was a piano performer and teacher. Her parents had divorced after her mother, who was a famous singer named Marianne Tromlitz, had an affair with one of her father's friends, named Adolf Bargiel. Subsequently her mother married Aldof and Clara, then 5 years old remained with her father, who taught her music, piano, violin, and other instruments, as well as composition and counterpoint. She studied and practice for 3 hours daily with her father, and by sge 8 was considered a child prodigy and gave her first concert in Leipzig. In her household roomed another student of her father, nine years her senior, Robert Schumann, and a strong bond of friendship developed between the two. By the time Clara was 18, Robert, now 27 had fallen in love with her and proposed marriage. Clara accepted, but her father opposed the relationship, since he did not approve of Robert. The two young lovers took Clara's father to court and the judge agreed with them, granting them the permission to marry, over her father's opposition. Clara and Robert had a loving relationship mutually beneficial to both careers. They admired each other greatly, and supported each other in everything they did. Unfortunately Robert began to suffer from mental illness, and in 1854 had a final mental breakdown, which left him incapacitated. Clara had to assume the support of the household. She suffered much tragedy in her life. In addition to her husband's madness two of her four children died before her, one also going insane like his father. Clara even had to take over the raising of some of her grandchildren when one of her sons became incapacitated. Late in Robert's life a young musician named Johannes Brahms had come to them with a letter of recommendation from another musician friend (Franz Liszt I believe). Both Robert and Clara befriended Brahms, and he was very supportive of Clara after Robert's sickness. Although a love affair between them could have materialized after Schumann's death, Brahms was not comfortable making a commitment to a relationship with any woman, apparently suffering from some degree of misogyny, although he remained a strong friend for life. Clara was an outstanding performing, but she was also a composer of great talent, as this work demonstrates. Gabe Meruelo.
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