Robert Schumann was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic of the Romantic era, born on June 8, 1810, in Zwickau, Saxony, Germany. He passed away on July 29, 1856, in Endenich, near Bonn, Prussia, Germany. Schumann is renowned particularly for his piano music, songs (lieder), and orchestral music. Many of his best-known piano pieces were written for his wife, the pianist Clara Schumann.
Schumann’s early years were marked by his father’s influence, who was a bookseller and publisher. He began his musical education at the age of six, studying the piano. In 1827, he came under the musical influence of Austrian composer Franz Schubert and the literary influence of German poet Jean Paul Richter. In the same year, he composed some songs.
Despite initially studying law at the University of Leipzig, Schumann’s passion for music prevailed. He studied the piano seriously with Friedrich Wieck, Clara’s father, and eventually married Clara despite Wieck’s opposition2. Schumann’s early works were mainly piano pieces, including the large-scale “Carnaval” (1834–1835). He co-founded the “Neue Zeitschrift für Musik” (New Musical Journal) in 1834 and edited it for ten years, contributing significantly to music criticism.
His compositions include the “Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54,” “Symphony No. 1 in B-flat Major,” and song cycles such as “Frauenliebe und -leben” and “Dichterliebe.” Schumann turned to orchestral music in 1841, chamber music and choral works in the following years, and his wife Clara premiered many of his works, including the Piano Concerto.
Schumann’s life was troubled by mental health issues, which led to his attempted suicide in 1854 and subsequent confinement in a sanatorium, where he died two years later. His legacy remains significant, as he was one of the most important Romantic composers and a highly regarded music critic, whose deeply personal music reflects the nature of Romanticism.
Robert Schumann composed his D-minor Symphony in 1841, just after completing his Symphony No. 1 in B flat major op. 38. This version remained …unpublished during the composer’s lifetime. After a thorough revision in late 1851, the work was given its first performance in Düsseldorf on 3 March 1853 under the composer’s direction. It was published that same year by Breitkopf & Härtel under the opus number 120 as Symphony No. 4.
Joachim Draheims Urtext edition presents Schumanns Fourth Symphony in the 1851 version. The primary source is the first edition overseen by Schumann and practically free of errors.
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