RomanticClara Schumann
Clara Wieck was born in Leipzig, Germany.
Clara Schumann’s life
The big moments of this life, and what was happening in the world at the same time.
A life at a glance
- 1819👶 Birth
Born in Leipzig on 13 September, daughter of the teacher Friedrich Wieck
- 1828🎩 Careerage 9
Debuts at the Leipzig Gewandhaus aged 9
- 1831🧳 Journeyage 12
Tour to Paris; plays for Goethe in Weimar
- 1835🎼 Workage 16
Premieres her Piano Concerto Op. 7 under Mendelssohn, aged 16
- 1838🎩 Careerage 19
Named Imperial Chamber Virtuoso in Vienna
- 1839🌍 Meanwhile
Photography is invented (daguerreotype)
- 1840❤️ Private lifeage 21
Marries Robert Schumann despite her father’s opposition
- 1840🌍 Meanwhile
Adolphe Sax invents the saxophone (c. 1840)
- 1846🎼 Workage 27
Piano Trio Op. 17
- 1853🎼 Workage 34
Romances for violin and piano; meets Brahms
- 1875🌍 Meanwhile
The Palais Garnier opera house opens in Paris
- 1889🌍 Meanwhile
The Eiffel Tower opens for the World’s Fair
- 1896🕯️ Deathage 77
Dies in Frankfurt on 20 May
Listen to the music
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Clara Schumann’s music is in the public domain, but Wikimedia Commons does not yet offer a freely licensed recording of these works. The links below lead to scores and searches on Commons; as soon as a free recording is published, it can be added here.
Once upon a time…
Clara Wieck was born in Leipzig, Germany. Her dad was a piano teacher and wanted to make her a great pianist. At nine she gave her first concert in a big hall!
She travelled all over Europe and even played for the famous writer Goethe. At fourteen she composed a piano concerto.
She fell in love with Robert Schumann, one of her dad’s pupils. But her dad refused to let them marry: they had to go to a judge! Together they had eight children.
After Robert died, Clara raised her family alone by giving concerts. She played for more than sixty years and became one of the greatest pianists of her time. Her portrait was on German banknotes!
Clara Schumann’s instruments
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