For almost half a century, the musical world was defined by order and esteemed the form of music more highly than the emotion that lay behind it. However, at the turn of the 19th century, romantic music began to rise in popularity. Lasting nearly a century, romantic music rejected the ideas of the classical era and instead encouraged composers to embrace the idea of emotionally driven music. Music was centered around extreme emotions and fantastical stories that rejected the idea of reason. This was the world that Clara Wieck (who would later marry the famous composer, Robert Schumann) was born into. Most well known for being a famous concert pianist, and secondly for being a romantic composer, Clara intimately knew the workings of romantic music which would not only influence Clara but would later become influenced by her progressive compositions and performances, as asserted by Bertita Harding, author of Concerto: The Glowing Story of Clara Schumann (Harding, 14). Clara’s musical career is an excellent example of how romantic music changed from virtuosic pieces composed to inspire awe at a performer’s talent, to more serious and nuanced pieces of music that valued the emotion of the listener above all else. From the very beginning, Clara’s father, Friedrich Wieck, a well respected German music teacher, intended for her to become a famous musician (Harding, 9). At a young age, he recognized that Clara had the gift of music. According to Bertita Harding, who wrote a biography of Clara Schumann, Wieck took cues from Mozart, in hopes to turning his daughter into a well known child prodigy. He began to rigorously train and cultivate Clara’s natural talent at the age of five and turned it into something extraordinary (Harding, 12).... ... middle of paper ... ...rtuosity in Clara Schumann's Piano Compositions." Musicological Explorations 11 (Spring 2010): 45-90. Academic Search Complete. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. Susskind, Pamela. "Clara Schumann." The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Ed. Stanley Sadie and George Grove. 1980. Print. Music Butterworth, Oliver, Michael Evans, and Frank Wibut, perfs. Piano Trio Op. 17. Dartington Piano Trio. Brown, Mark, 1988. Florida College's Classical Music Library. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. Lupo, Benedetto, and Peter Maag, perfs. Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in A Minor Op.54. By Clara Schumann. Orchestra Della Svizzera Italiana. Arts Productions, 2004. Florida College's Classical Music Library. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. Volondat, Pierre-Alain, perf. Variations OP 20. By Clara Schumann. Rec. 15 May 2010. Saphir Productions, 2008. Florida College's Classical Music Library. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie, 20 vols. (London: Macmillan, 1980)9: 708-709
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A peer to such keyboard greats - such as Rubenstein, Thalberg, and Liszt - Clara Schumann (1819-1896) was a brilliant pianist and composer. Carrying a career which extended over sixty years, Schumann contributed a great deal of repertoire to the world of Lieder. Much like her performing technique, her compositions were famous for carrying a beautiful tone and poetic temperament. In analyzing Clara Schumann’s Liebst du um Schönheit, one can cultivate an understanding of Schumann’s compositional techniques, as they are implemented in the style of German lieder.
Gabrieli, Giovanni. Sacrae Symphoniae: Sonata Pian e Forte. John Wallace, Simon Wright, and the Wallace Collection. Simon Wright. Nimbus Records NI5236, 2012. Streaming audio. http://naxosmusiclibrary.com.
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie, 20 vols. (London: Macmillan, 1980)16: 752-774
Alfred Einstein (1947). Music in the Romantic Era: A History of musical thought in the 19th century. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
In her teens Clara fell in love Robert Schumann, which was one of her fathers students, and later on became one of the most prominent composers of the 19th century. Schumann was 9 years older than Clara and had been living in her house as a piano student. In
"Clara Rockmore (1911-1998)." Computer Music Journal 22.4 (1998): 14. Academic Search Premier. Web. 30 May 2012.
Major works by Clara Schumann included ‘Quatre Polonaises pour le pianoforte’, published in 1831, ‘4 Pièces caractéristiques for piano’ published in 1836, ‘Piano Trio in G minor’, published in 1846, and ‘Drei romanzen für pianoforte und violine’, published in 1855. In 1838, Clara was awarded the Royal and Imperial Chamber Virtuoso, Austria's highest musical honor. She was one of the most prominent female composers of the Romantic era, during a time there weren’t
Schubert's instrumental works show development over a long period of time, but some of his greatest songs were composed before he was 20 years old. In Schubert's songs the literary and musical elements are perfectly balanced, composed on the same intellectual and emotional level. Although Schubert composed strophic songs throughout his career, he did not follow set patterns but exploited bold and free forms when the text demanded it. Except for his early training as a child, Schubert the composer, was largely untrained and self-taught. His gift of being able to create melodies that contained both easy naturalness and sophisticated twists at the same time was unprecedented for his time. On this quality rests the reputation that music history finally gave Schubert.
David Fanning and Laurel Fay. "Shostakovich, Dmitry." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. 14 Apr. 2012 .
When researching various romantic composers, it is easy to see how different they are and the reflection pinpointed during the romantic era. Although Franz Schubert and Franz Liszt have some minor similarities, the differences between the romantic composers are remarkable.
Wharram, Barbara. Elementary Rudiments of Music. Ed. Kathleen Wood. 2nd ed. Mississauga, Ont.: Frederick Harris Music, 2010. Print.
Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto is considered to be one of the central works of the piano concerto literature. It’s been widely recorded and performed. On September 17, the Pacific Chamber Orchestra, under the
The role of the sonata as an extremely important form of musical arrangement still inspires people to work with and compose and perform new works in this very traditional form. (Sonata)