The gentlest, the most loving, the most tormented of men, Robert Schumann gave to the world some of its richest and most individual music. There was scarcely a genre he didn’t touch, and none in which he didn’t leave something beautiful, memorable or original. Best known for his piano music, his songs, his chamber works and his symphonies, he was also an epoch-making essayist and critic, who managed at a stroke, and almost single-handedly, to put Chopin and Brahms on the international map. Yet after a lifetime of giving, he died insane at only forty-six. Audio samples are contained in the text: just tap to listen while you read.
About the Author
Jeremy Siepmann is an internationally acclaimed writer, musician, teacher and broadcaster. He has contributed articles, reviews and interviews to numerous journals and reference works (including The New Statesman, Gramophone and BBC Music Magazine). His previous books include a widely acclaimed biography of Chopin, two volumes on the history and literature of the piano, and biographies of Brahms, Mozart and Beethoven.