Short biography of Schumann

Biography Schumann - the great German composer - like the life of any famous person, was filled with curious, anecdotal cases, and tragic interlacing of fate. Why did Schumann not become a virtuoso pianist, as he dreamed in his youth, and why did he have to choose a composer path? How did this affect his mental health, and where did the famous author end his life?

Composer Schumann (biography): childhood and youth

Schumann was born on June 8, 1810 in Germany. His hometown was the town of Zwickau. The father of the future composer was a book publisher, a non-poor man, so he tried to give his son a decent education.

The boy showed literary abilities from his childhood - when Robert studied at the gymnasium, he also organized a literary circle independently of the fact that he composed poems, dramas and comedies. Under the influence of the German writer-sentimentalist Jean Paul, the young man even composed a literary novel. Given all these facts, Shuman's biography could have developed quite differently - the boy could well follow in the footsteps of his father. But the world of music excited Robert more than literary activity.

Schumann, whose biography and creativity throughout his life were tightly connected with the music art, wrote his first musical work in ten years. Perhaps it was the first sign that another great composer was born.

Robert Schumann (short biography): career of the pianist

Schumann began to show interest in playing the piano from an early age. He was very impressed by the play of the pianist Mosheles, as well as Paganini. The young man caught fire with the idea of becoming a virtuoso instrumentalist and spared no effort for this.

First, the future composer took lessons from organist Kunsht. Under the strict guidance of his first teacher, the boy began to create his music - mostly sketches. After learning about Schubert's work, Robert wrote several songs.

However, the parents insisted that their son had a serious education, so Robert goes to Leipzig to study for a lawyer. But Schumann, whose biography, it seemed, could not have formed otherwise, still reaches for music, so he continues to play piano under the guidance of a new teacher, Friedrich Wick. The latter sincerely believed that his student could become the most virtuosic pianist in Germany.

But Robert was too fanatical pursued his goal, so he overdid with the exercises - he earned a stretch of tendons and said goodbye to the pianist's career.

Education

As mentioned above, Schumann studied law at the University of Leipzig, and then in Heidelberg. But the lawyer Robert did not, having given preference to music.

The beginning of composer activity

Robert Schumann, whose biography after the injury was completely devoted to composing, most likely worried about the fact that he could never realize his dream and become a famous pianist. The character of the young man changed after that - he became uncommunicative, too hurt, stopped joking and played his friends as soon as he knew how to do it. Once, when he was still young, Schumann went to the musical instruments store and jokingly introduced himself as the English Lord's marshal, who instructed him to choose a piano for music. Robert outplayed all the expensive instruments in the salon, amusing the gapers and customers. As a result, Schumann said that in two days he would give the owner of the salon an answer about the purchase, and as if nothing had happened he left for another city for his business.

But in the 30's. With the career of the pianist had to say goodbye, and the young man devoted himself entirely to creating musical works. It was for this period that the flowering of his composer creativity took place.

Features of music

Schumann worked in the era of romanticism and, of course, it affected his work.

Robert Schumann, whose biography was in some sense filled with personal experiences, wrote psychological music that was far from folklore motifs. Schumann's works are something "personal". His music is very changeable, which reflects the split personality, which gradually began to fall ill composer. Schumann himself did not hide the fact that his nature is characterized by duality.

The harmonious language of his works is more complex than that of his contemporaries. The rhythm of Schumann's creations is rather whimsical and capricious. But this did not stop the composer from winning popular glory during his lifetime.

Once, while walking in the park, the composer whistled a theme from "Carnival" to himself. One of the passers-by made him a remark: they say, if you do not have a hearing, then it's better not to "spoil" the works of a respected composer.

Among the most famous works of the composer are the following:

• Romance cycles "Poet's Love", "The Circle of Songs";
• Piano cycles "Butterflies", "Carnival", "Kreisleriana", etc.

Musical newspaper

Schumann, whose short biography would not have been without literature, did not give up his passion, and applied his writing talent in journalism. With the support of his many friends associated with the world of music, Schumann in 1834 founded the "New Music Newspaper". Over time, it has become a periodic and quite influential publication. The composer wrote many articles for publication with his own hands. He welcomed everything new in music, so he supported young composers. By the way, Schumann was one of the first to recognize the talent of Chopin and wrote a separate article in his honor. Also Schumann supported Liszt, Berlioz, Brahms and many other composers.

Often in his articles the hero of our story had to repulse many music critics who were unflattering about his work. Schumann, too, "worked" is not quite in the spirit of the times, so he had to defend his views on musical art.

Personal life

In 1840, closer to 30 years, Robert Schumann married. His chosen one was the daughter of his teacher, Friedrich Wick.

Clara Vic was a well-known and virtuosic pianist. She also had a relationship with the composer's art and supported her husband in all endeavors.

Schumann, whose short biography was saturated with musical activity by the age of 30, was never married, and it seemed that his own private life did not bother him much. But before the wedding, he honestly warned his future wife that his character is very difficult: he often acts contrary to close and native people, for some reason, so it goes that it hurts those whom he loves.

But these shortcomings of the composer did not frighten the bride very much. The marriage took place, and Clara Vic and Robert Schumann lived in marriage until the end of their days, left behind eight children and were buried in one cemetery.

Health problems and death

Schumann's biography was full of various events, the composer left behind a rich musical and literary heritage. Such obsession with one's own business and life could not pass without a trace. At about 35 years the composer began to show the first signs of a serious nervous breakdown. For two years he did not write anything.

And although the composer was given various honors, invited to serious positions, he could no longer return to his former life. His nerves finally shook.

At 44 years old, the composer, for the first time after an attack of protracted depression, tried to commit suicide by rushing from the bridge to the Rhine. He was saved, but there were no special changes in his state of health. Two years Shuman spent in a psychiatric hospital and died at 46 years old. For all this time, the composer has not created a single work.

Interesting facts from biography

Who knows how the composer's life would have turned out if he had not damaged his fingers on his hand and still became a pianist ... Perhaps Schumann, whose biography had broken off at 46, would have lived a longer life and would not have been bothered by the mind.

By the way, there is a version that the composer damaged his fingers, creating a homemade simulator for them by the type of tools of Henry Hertz and Tiziano Poly. The essence of the simulators is that the middle finger of the hand was attached to the string, which was attached to the ceiling. This tool was designed to train the endurance and the amplitude of the opening of the fingers. But with mismanagement it is possible to tear the tendons in this way.

There is another version according to which Schumann had to be treated with syphilis in a fashionable way then - to inhale mercury vapor, which caused a side effect in the form of finger paralysis. But Shuman's wife did not confirm any of these versions.

International Competition named after the composer

Schumann's biography and his work are so popular in the music world that often there are organized contests and awards in honor of the famous composer. As early as 1956, Berlin hosted the first competition for academic musicians, called Internationaler Robert-Schumann-Wettbewerb.

The first event was timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the death of the composer, and the first winners of the contest were Anteroza Schmidt of the GDR in the nomination "Piano", as well as representatives of the USSR: Alexander Vedernikov, Kira Izotova in the "Vocals" nomination. Subsequently, the contestants from the USSR almost every year took prizes until 1985. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, only in 1996 the contest was won by a representative from Russia - Mikhail Mordvinov in the nomination "Piano".

Robert Schumann Award

R. Schumann, whose biography and artistic heritage became the pride of world art, presented his name and prize, which is awarded to performers of academic music, since 1964. The prize was created by the administration of the composer's hometown - Zwickau. It is awarded only to those figures who promote the music of the composer and bring it to the broad masses. In 2003, the material component of the award was equal to the amount of 10,000 euros.

Until 1989, the names of Soviet artists were often included in the list of laureates of the prize. The representative from Russia then appeared on the list of laureates only in 2000. The winner of the prize that year was Olga Loseva, since then the prize has not been awarded to immigrants from the CIS countries even once.