Clara Schumann was one of the most influential and celebrated pianists of the 19th century. She was also a composer, teacher, and wife of the famous composer Robert Schumann. In this blog post, we will explore her life and achievements, and how she overcame the challenges and prejudices of her time.
Clara Schumann was born in Leipzig, Germany, on September 13, 1819. She was the daughter of Friedrich Wieck, a well-known piano teacher and music dealer, and Marianne Tromlitz, a singer. Clara showed exceptional musical talent from an early age, and her father devoted himself to her education and career. She started composing at the age of seven, and gave her first public performance at the age of nine.
The piano is a keyboard instrument that has a long and rich history of innovation and evolution. It is widely regarded as the most popular and versatile musical instrument in existence, capable of producing a wide range of sounds and expressions. The piano's invention is attributed to Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655-1731), an Italian harpsichord maker who devised a new mechanism that allowed the player to control the volume and dynamics of the sound by varying the force of the key strike . He called his invention "gravicembalo col piano e forte", or "harpsichord with soft and loud" .