Robert Schumann

Robert Schumann Robert SchumannRobert Alexander Schumann was born in the small riverside town ofZwickau, Saxony, in 1810.The youngest of five children, Robert Schumannwas brought up in comfortable, middle-class respectability. As a child, heapparently exhibited no remarkable abilities.At the age of six, Robert was sent to the local preparatory school, runby Archdeacon Dohner. He had in fact already begun his education, with theyoung tutor who gave lessons in exchange for board and lodging at theSchumann home.At the age of seven Robert received his first piano lessons, fromJohann Gottfried Kuntzsch, organist at St. Mary's Church, and schoolmasterat the Zwickau Lyceum. Kuntzsch was a kindly, conservative musician oflimited abilities; his knowledge stemmed from leisure-time study.Nevertheless, Robert was soon improvising, and even composing a set ofdances for the piano.Robert's musical talent was recognized by his father. He bought anexpensive Streicher grand piano for his son, and soon four-handedarra ngements of the classics were heard in the Schumann home.English: Friedrich Wieck (1785 – 1873) at the ag...With afriend named Friedrich Piltzing, another pupil of Kuntzch's, Robert started toexplore Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven.As a child, Schumann took part in several concerts at the ZwickauLyceum. He once played Moscheles' Alexander March variations, whichdemanded considerable dexterity.At the public Lyceum Robert was active as both pianist and publicspeaker. When he was fourteen, Kuntzsch decided that his pupil hadprogressed beyond the point where he could give further help, and declined toteach him anymore.Shortly before leaving the Lyceum, Schumann collaborated with hisbrother Karl in preparing a new edition of Forcellini's Latin dictionary,Lexicon Totius Latinatinis.Although now very busy as a composer, Robert yearned for affection.He soon fell for seventeen-year-old Ernestine von Fricken, who came toLeipzig in April 1834 to...