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Clara Schumann
Overview
Clara Schumann was a German
musician and composer, considered one of the most distinguished pianists
of the Romantic era
. She exerted her influence over a 61-year concert career, changing the format and repertoire of the piano recital and the tastes of the listening public.
Her husband was the composer Robert Schumann
. She and her husband encouraged Johannes Brahms
, and she was the first pianist to give public performances of some of Brahms' works, notably the Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel
.
Clara Josephine Wieck was born in Leipzig
on 13 September 1819 to Friedrich
and Marianne Wieck (née Tromlitz).
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
musician and composer, considered one of the most distinguished pianists
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
of the Romantic era
Romantic music
Romantic music or music in the Romantic Period is a musicological and artistic term referring to a particular period, theory, compositional practice, and canon in Western music history, from 1810 to 1900....
. She exerted her influence over a 61-year concert career, changing the format and repertoire of the piano recital and the tastes of the listening public.
Her husband was the composer Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
. She and her husband encouraged Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
, and she was the first pianist to give public performances of some of Brahms' works, notably the Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel
Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel
The Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24, is a work for solo piano written by Johannes Brahms in 1861. It consists of a set of twenty-five variations and a concluding fugue, all based on a theme from George Frideric Handel's Harpsichord Suite No...
.
Clara Josephine Wieck was born in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
on 13 September 1819 to Friedrich
Friedrich Wieck
Johann Gottlob Friedrich Wieck was a noted German piano teacher, voice teacher, owner of a piano store, and music reviewer. He is remembered as the teacher of his daughter, Clara, a child prodigy who was doing international concert tours by age eleven and who later married Robert Schumann...
and Marianne Wieck (née Tromlitz).
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