Published Literature

Researchers will be encouraged by the tremendous amount of published literature about Clara Schumann, her career, and her personal and professional relationships. This page discusses significant biographies, published correspondence and diaries, memoirs by her youngest daughter, and databases that will lead researchers to books, journal articles, dissertations, and more relevant published literature.

Biographies

Many biographical books, articles, and dissertations have been published about Clara Schumann as a pianist, composer, editor, and significant figure in 19th-century German music. Berthold Litzmann published the first biography of Schumann from 1902-1908 with his Clara Schumann: Ein Kunstlerleben. In 1985, Nancy Reich's seminal work, Clara Schumann: The Artist and the Woman, delved into biographical details overlooked and/or omitted by Litzmann in his work. Reich relies on original German publications and the archives of the Robert-Schumann-Haus, Zwickau, among other sources and archives, to reveal a fuller understanding of Schumann's life and work as well as the complexities of her family and personal relationships. Clara Schumann research and performance of her works have blossomed since Reich published her 1985 biography, and a second edition of Reich's biography was published in 2001.

TIP: To locate published biographical material on Clara Schumann in the Library of Congress Online Catalog, be sure to "Add Limits" to the search in the Advanced Search mode. For this particular search, perform a Subject Search in the catalog by selecting "Subject" from the drop-down menu and enter "Schumann, Clara, 1819-1896" in the text box. Below that, click on "Add Limits." Under "Type of Material," select "Book" from the drop-down menu. This action will limit your results to books about Clara Schumann.

Subject search results for "Schumann, Clara, 1819-1896" in the Library of Congress Online Catalog

The following titles, listed as examples, link to fuller bibliographic information for published scores in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.

Clara Schumann by Berthold Litzmann
Call Number: ML417.S4 L7
Published/Created: 1902
Berthold Litzmann published the first biography of Schumann from 1902-1908 with his Clara Schumann: Ein Kunstlerleben. Schumann's daughter, Marie, authorized and supervised the family friend and writer as he wrote the three-volume biography, granting Litzmann access to correspondence, diaries, notebooks, court orders, and more personal documents. This biography, along with the Clara Schumann-Johannes Brahms correspondence that Lizmann edited and published in 1927, provided the foundation for all subsequent biographies.
Clara Schumann by Nancy Reich
Call Number: ML417.S4 R4 2001
ISBN: 0801437407
Published/Created: 2001-07-15
This absorbing and award-winning biography tells the story of the tragedies and triumphs of Clara Wieck Schumann (1819-1896), a musician of remarkable achievements. At once artist, composer, editor, teacher, wife, and mother of eight children, she was an important force in the musical world of her time. To show how Schumann surmounted the obstacles facing female artists in the nineteenth century, Nancy B. Reich has drawn on previously unexplored primary sources: unpublished diaries, letters, and family papers, as well as concert programs. Going beyond the familiar legends of the Schumann literature, she applies the tools of musicological scholarship and the insights of psychology to provide a new, full-scale portrait. The book is divided into two parts. In Part One, Reich follows Clara Schumann's life from her early years as a child prodigy through her marriage to Robert Schumann and into the forty years after his death, when she established and maintained an extraordinary European career while supporting and supervising a household and seven children. Part Two covers four major themes in Schumann's life: her relationship with Johannes Brahms and other friends and contemporaries; her creative work; her life on the concert stage; and her success as a teacher. Throughout, excerpts from diaries and letters in Reich's own translations clear up misconceptions about her life and achievements and her partnership with Robert Schumann. Highlighting aspects of Clara Schumann's personality and character that have been neglected by earlier biographers, this candid and eminently readable account adds appreciably to our understanding of a fascinating artist and woman. For this revised edition, Reich has added several photographs and updated the text to include recent discoveries. She has also prepared a Catalogue of Works that includes all of Clara Schumann's known published and unpublished compositions and works she edited, as well as descriptions of the autographs, the first editions, the modern editions, and recent literature on each piece. The Catalogue also notes Schumann's performances of her own music and provides pertinent quotations from letters, diaries, and contemporary reviews.

Published Correspondence, Diaries, and Memoirs

There is a substantial amount of published correspondence available that will inform the Clara Schumann researcher. Search the Library of Congress Online Catalog for published correspondence; while much of the material is in its original German or French, there are also several English translations published and available.

TIP: To locate published Clara Schumann correspondence in the Library of Congress Online Catalog, be sure to "Add Limits" to the search. For this particular search, perform a Subject Search in the catalog by selecting "Subject" from the drop-down menu and enter "Schumann, Clara, 1819-1896--Correspondence" in the text box. Below that, click on "Add Limits." Under "Type of Material," select "Book" from the drop-down menu. This action will limit your results to books about Clara Schumann and her correspondence.

Subject search results for "Schumann, Clara, 1819-1896--Correspondence" in the Library of Congress Online Catalog

The following titles, listed as examples, link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.

The Complete Correspondence of Clara and Robert Schumann by Eva Weissweiler (Editor); Hildegard Fritsch (Translator); Ronald Crawford (Translator)
Call Number: ML417.S4 A4 1994
ISBN: 0820424447
Published/Created: 1995-02-01
The first volume of the Schumann correspondence contains letters written by Robert Schumann (1810-1856) and Clara Wieck Schumann (1819-1896) between 1832 and 1838. The letters document the major events in their lives: Robert's short-lived engagement to Ernestine von Fricken, his courtship of Clara, Friedrich Wieck's vehement opposition, and Clara and Robert's secret plans for marriage. The letters comment on their encounters with Franz Liszt, Frederic Chopin, Felix Mendelssohn, Ignaz Moscheles and others. They also describe Clara's triumphant concert tour of Austria and Robert's attempt to establish himself and his journal in Vienna. Two additional volumes focus on later time periods.
Letters of Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms, 1853-1896 by Clara (Wieck) Schumann; Berthold Litzmann (Editor)
Call Number: ML417.S4 A43 1979
ISBN: 0883557614
Published/Created: 1985-09-01
Clara Schumann befriended Johannes Brahms in 1853 and remained deeply connected to the composer and Schumann advocate until her death. Their correspondence documents the friendship where Brahms served as musical consultant, confidante, and more to Clara.

Clara Schumann kept two well-known diaries in her life: her girlhood diaries (Jugendtagebücher) and her marriage diary (Ehetagebuch). Clara's girlhood diaries were famously managed, supervised, and even written at times, by her father Friedrich Wieck. Wieck used the diary as a vehicle for communicating his expectations, frustrations, praise, and more with his daughter. When Clara left home at 19 years old for her first independent tour, she finally assumed full control of her diary. The girlhood diaries end on September 13, 1840 - her 21st birthday and the day after her marriage to Robert Schumann. Her father retained the diaries until 1859, when he returned them to Clara.

The discipline Clara acquired through consistent maintenance of her girlhood diaries served the Schumanns well when they decided to begin a marriage diary, where Clara and Robert intended to alternate writing weekly entries. A few months into the diary, Robert's dedication to composing resulted in Clara taking over more of the writing. Robert did continue to keep detailed household reports on finances, schedules, compositions, and their music circle. The marriage diary provides a window into Clara and Robert's relationship, insecurities, and hopes, and additionally records important information about the composition, performance, and editorial aspects of their careers.

The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.

Jugendtagebücher 1827-1840 : nach den Handschriften / Clara Schumann by herausgegeben von Gerd Nauhaus und Nancy B. Reich unter Mitarbeit von Kristin R. M. Krahe
Call Number: ML417.S4 A3 2019
ISBN: 9783487086217
Published/Created: 2019
The childhood and youth diaries of the great pianist Clara Schumann are published for the first time in their entirety and with commentary. The creation of Clara's diaries is unusual, as they were initially kept by her father, the piano teacher Friedrich Wieck, on his behalf. Only eighteen-year-olds can express themselves free from paternal censorship. The love affair with Robert Schumann had long since developed, which, after serious conflicts with Wieck, led to the wedding in 1840 and thus to the happy ending of the diary reports. The records are biographically and historically complex and stimulating. The extensive concert tours of the young pianist are described in a concise and often amusing way: cities, concert halls, instruments, colleagues, competitors and, of course, Clara's successes, form a very charming historical panorama.
The Marriage Diaries of Robert and Clara Schumann by Gerd Nauhaus; Peter F. Ostwald (Preface by, Translator)
Call Number: ML390 .S39713 1993
ISBN: 1555531717
Published/Created: 1993-11-15
"The Schumann Marriage diaries provide a vivid portrait of the unique artistic and personal union between two renowned musicians. For the first four years of their marriage, Robert and Clara Schumann kept a joint diary, recording their entries, at least initially, on alternate weeks. Begun on September 13, 1840, the day after their marriage, the diary opens with guidance from Robert: "This little book . . . has a very intimate meaning; it shall be a diary about everything that touches us mutually in our household and marriage."" "The diaries reflect the harmony as well as the discord in their marriage. Robert and Clara describe in intimate detail their honeymoon period, the births of their children, their busy social lives, travels throughout Europe, financial problems, separations, and reunions. The book also evokes the artistic milieu of nineteenth-century Germany. The Schumanns came in contact with many musicians, including their close friends Felix Mendelssohn and Franz Liszt, and recorded their insightful reactions to the artists and their music." "The marriage diaries cover a fertile period in Robert Schumann's life, during which he wrote the Spring Symphony, the Piano Concerto, most of his chamber music, his first oratorio, "Paradise and the Peri," and numerous songs. They reflect the frenetic pace at which he worked, as well as his growing bouts of depression, his ambivalent response to Clara's decision to return to the concert stage after a prolonged hiatus, and her anxiety in the face of Robert's changing moods." "This edition includes the couple's travel book, written during their stressful concert tour of Russia in 1844, which marked the end of the marriage diaries; Robert Schumann's descriptions of Russian customs; and the poems he wrote in Moscow - all of which provide a fascinating and uniquely detailed glimpse at what it was like to travel in Russia at the time."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Eugenie Schumann (1851-1938), the youngest daughter of Clara and Robert, published a memoir of her family in 1925. Eugenie was born three years before Robert's attempted suicide and admittance to a mental asylum, and five years before his death. While Clara was traveling and concertizing, Eugenie spent her formative years with various caretakers including a housekeeper, her sisters Marie and Elise, and a boarding school. Eugenie demonstrated musical gifts and was accepted to a music school in Berlin directed by Joseph Joachim; it was in Berlin that Eugenie met Marie Fillunger, an Austrian singer who became Eugenie's lover. Eugenie studied at the school with Clara's former student Ernst Rudorff and later with her mother and Brahms as well; her memoir provides wonderful descriptions of their pedagogy. In 1871, Eugenie moved in with her mother and older sister Marie to provide assistance and companionship. She lived there for 20 years, teaching piano and hosting Fillunger in the home until ending their relationship and parting ways (Eugenie and Fillunger continued to exchange letters that you can read in the book Mit 1000 Küssen deine Fillu : Briefe der Sängerin Marie Fillunger an Eugenie Schumann 1875-93). At 40 years old, Eugenie left the Schumann home to pursue her own teaching career in England until moving to Interlaken in 1918 to care for her aging sister Marie. After Marie died, Eugenie took on the responsibility of promoting her parents' work and preserving their reputations. Her memoir offers a personal reflection of Clara and Robert from the unique perspective of a daughter.

The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.

Erinnerungen by Eugenie Schumann (1851-1938)
Call Number: ML410.S4 S33 1943
Published/Created: 1943
This is a later edition of Eugenie Schumann's Erinnerungen, which was originally published in 1925 by Engelhorn.
Memoirs of Eugenie Schumann by Eugenie Schumann; Marie Busch (Translator)
Call Number: ML410.S4 S331
Published/Created: 1927
The first edition of the London publication of Marie Busch's English translation of Eugenie Schumann's Erinnerungen. The English translation is not abridged and was completed during Eugenie Schumann's lifetime.
The Schumanns and Johannes Brahms; the memoirs of Eugenie Schumann by Eugenie Schumann (1851-1938)
Call Number: ML410.S4 S332
Published/Created: 1927
The first edition of the New York publication of Marie Busch's English translation of Eugenie Schumann's Erinnerungen. The English translation is not abridged and was completed during Eugenie Schumann's lifetime.

Analysis and Criticism

While published biographies offer a degree of analysis and criticism of Schumann's compositions and performance career, researchers will benefit from searching for in-depth analyses in books, essays, articles, and dissertations. Search for material on the analysis and interpretation of Clara Schumann's music and career in the Library of Congress Online Catalog (perform a Subject search with the phrase "Schumann, Clara, 1819-1896--Criticism and interpretation." in the text box).

Subject search results for "Schumann, Clara, 1819-1896--Criticism and interpretation." in the Library of Congress Online Catalog

In addition to the online catalog, the following databases are particularly helpful in searching for relevant books, book reviews, articles, and dissertations. The subscription resources marked with a padlock are available to researchers on-site at the Library of Congress. If you are unable to visit the Library, you may be able to access these resources through your local public or academic library.

RILM Abstracts of Music Literature External This link opens in a new window
International bibliography of scholarly writings on music and related disciplines from 5,200 journals in 202 languages. Citations are drawn from articles, books, conference proceedings, bibliographies, catalogues, dissertations, festchriften, iconographies, critical commentaries to complete works, ethnographic recordings and videos, and reviews. Covers from Western and Eastern classical to pop, folk, and jazz with original language titles and title translations in English.
ProQuest Databases External This link opens in a new window
A multidisciplinary resource including ProQuest Research Library with citations and abstracts for over 2,500 journals, magazines, and newspapers, many dating back to 1986 or earlier and covering all subject areas. Full text is available for about one half of the publications. This link allows for searching all databases on the ProQuest platform that are cross-searchable.
JSTOR External This link opens in a new window
JSTOR is a highly selective digital library of academic content in many disciplines. The Library of Congress's subscriptions to JSTOR provide access to thousands of scholarly journals in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. JSTOR works with a diverse group of nearly 1,200 publishers from more than 57 countries to preserve and make their content digitally available.

Also provided is access to JSTOR Daily, which offers a fresh way for people to understand and contextualize their world. JSTOR Daily writers provide insight, commentary, and analysis of ideas, research, and current events, tapping into the rich scholarship on JSTOR. In addition to weekly feature articles, the magazine publishes daily blog posts that provide the backstory to complex issues of the day in a variety of subject areas, interviews with and profiles of scholars and their work, and much more.
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global External This link opens in a new window
Index of doctoral dissertations and master's theses, with coverage from 1861 to the present. Those published from 1980 to present include abstracts, and many of those published since the 1990's are available in full text (PDF digital format) along with 24 page previews. Full text dissertations may be downloaded to a zip disc or emailed to a user account (but be aware that restrictions on your email account or security precautions at your institution might prevent the document from reaching you after leaving the Library). Please limit printing from Library of Congress workstations to citations and summaries.

Clara Schumann: A Guide to Resources at the Library of Congress

Performing Arts: Ask a Librarian

Published Literature

Biographies

Published Correspondence, Diaries, and Memoirs

Analysis and Criticism