Music, Marriage and Madness

Notes on the Program

by Michael Barrett

Contrary to what today’s program implies – that Robert Schumann’s songs were written as autobiographical statements – nearly all the songs you will hear were written in 1840. It was a productive but turbulent year which saw the lengthy and bitter court battle between Schumann and his fiancé Clara Wieck, vs. her father Frederick Wieck. Wieck had forced their separation and blocked the marriage for years, defaming Schumann, accusing him of drunkenness, financial recklessness, and being generally irresponsible and unfit to be the husband of his now famous daughter. (By this time Clara was internationally hailed as a great pianist, and regarded in the same company as Liszt). Robert and Clara prevailed, and the were married on Sept. 12, 1840, a day before Clara’s 21st birthday. So began 13 years of successful marriage which included the birth of eight children. The day before the wedding, Schumann presented Clara with a beautifully bound, gold printed edition of his Op. 25 Myrthen (Myrtles). The dedication reads: “To His Beloved Bride.” The first song is Widmung (Dedication).

The road to marriage had been a long one. Schumann and Clara had known each other for 12 years. Robert had come to the Wieck household as a pupil of Wieck, hoping to become a great piano virtuoso. Schumann lived under the same roof with the Wiecks for years, becoming something of a big brother to Clara. It was also at this time that Schumann was composing his early piano pieces. Gradually, due to a hand injury, Schumann had to abandon his dreams of becoming a virtuoso, and concentrated on composing full time. (By 1840, Schumann had written 24 works for piano solo. Song writing was his first mature attempt at another genre of composition.)

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