Robert Schumann

Robert Schumann (1810–1856), born in Germany, was a leading composer of the nineteenth-century Romantic era. Deeply influenced by literature and poetry, he created music in which even brief pieces suggest vivid narratives and shifting states of mind. His important piano works include Carnaval, Kinderszenen, Kreisleriana, and the Fantasie, distinguished by sharply characterized moods, imaginative sonorities, and dramatic contrasts. Alongside his solo piano music, Schumann also wrote piano-duet works, in part reflecting his close musical relationship with his wife, the pianist Clara Schumann. In the Twelve Piano-Duet Pieces for Small and Big Children, he presents marches, games, and evening scenes in an approachable yet finely shaped musical language. Schumann was also active as a music critic, and through his writings and compositions he exerted a significant influence on the musical culture of his time.