The Marriage Diaries of Robert and Clara Schumann: From Their Wedding Day to the Russia Trip

During the first four years of their marriage, the composer Robert Schumann (1810-1856) and his wife Clara (1819-1896), the famed concert pianist, took turns writing in a series of diaries. The diaries, edited by Nauhaus, associate director of the Robert Schumann House in Germany, and here fluently translated by Ostwald ( Schumann: The Inner Voices of a Musical Genius ), provide an intimate glimpse into the busy professional and personal lives of the Schumanns in Leipzig, and a colorful picture of their concert tour of Russia in 1844. There are references to Robert's frequent illnesses and periods of depression which foreshadowed his eventual mental breakdown, and discussions of the conflicts with Clara's father, Robert's former piano teacher Friedrich Wieck, who, after failing to stop their marriage, continued to undermine their relationship. Most intriguing is the picture of the young Clara in 19th-century Germany attempting to balance the demands of a concert career and a growing family. Illustrations. Performing Arts Book Club main selection. (Dec.)