Schumann, << SHOO mahn, >> Clara (1819-1896), was one of the finest concert pianists of her time. She especially promoted the piano music of her husband, Robert Schumann, and their close friend Johannes Brahms. She influenced the compositions of both men by giving them insightful and useful suggestions. She was also a capable composer of songs and piano works, though she never intended to be a professional composer.
Schumann was born Clara Wieck on Sept. 13, 1819, in Leipzig, Germany. She met Robert Schumann while he was studying piano with her father, Friedrich Wieck. They were married in 1840. The couple had eight children. They settled in Dusseldorf in 1850 and met Brahms in 1853. Robert suffered from mental illness and was placed in a mental institution in 1854. Clara then had to raise their children alone. In 1878, she was appointed principal teacher of piano at the conservatory in Frankfurt. While there, she prepared editions of her husband’s compositions and letters for publication. She died on May 20, 1896.
