“The English have adopted Mendelssohn, but in Germany an equal rank is accorded to Schumann. It may arise from affection for Mendelssohn that the English are inclined to deny Schumann’s claims, fearing that the recognition of them may interfere with the justly deserved reputation of their favourite; but, be this as it may, a comparison should not be instituted between them. Schumann, apart from his not having the natural gifts of Mendelssohn, was a solitary student, unable by the use of his talents or his manners to make himself popular. Mendelssohn, endowed with every distinction nature and a refined education could bestow, happily balanced the requirements of the public with the dignity of the true artist, without yielding to vulgar tastes. If he did not rely on the vox populi he admitted the truth existing in that voice. Schumann, if he did not exactly treat popular opinion with contempt, would not consult it. He never had the means of forming for himself a clear idea of what was due to the public, not being a public player, as Mozart, Beethoven, Weber, Mendelssohn, and Chopin all were. It is before the public an artist learns to play, and it is before the public a composer feels, with even painful acuteness, any imperfections or tediousness in his works. That which sounds right and interesting in a small study, with a sympathising friend to turn over the leaves, may sound dreary, uninteresting, and even tiresome, to an indifferent audience. We have here a sufficient reason why Schumann would not have attained a widespread popularity like that of his admired friend Mendelssohn. But surely in these days, when there are so many weak productions, we are not justified in disregarding the works of an intelligent and conscientious master; a man who had the purest and noblest aspirations, and who was ever the first to acknowledge, with true sympathy and every sign of delight, the merits of others.”[24]
Robert Schumann (1810-56) was a man of high intellectual capacity and culture, and this it is which chiefly distinguishes both the man and his compositions; for it will hardly be claimed for him that he was by birthright such an absolute musician as, say, Mozart or Mendelssohn.
Schumann as Absolute Musician
The inborn natural qualities of these masters were, of course, supplemented by that careful training which is essential to success, even for the most richly endowed of human beings; but with Schumann one may almost say that the culture stands first. Not that he failed to exhibit strong musical tendencies even from his childhood, for do we not read of his caricaturing his schoolmates by playing, in a grotesque manner, on the piano, while still at school. Yet anything he did in this way, and as regards composition, is very different from what we find in the early years of the two who have been mentioned. It is evident also that, as he grew to manhood, his aim in life was to become a solo pianist, for which purpose he worked diligently under the father of that great artist Clara Wieck, who eventually became his wife. But, unfortunately, he injured his hand in an attempt to make it stronger by some mechanical means, and thus he had to relinquish the idea of playing in public. Then he more earnestly applied himself to composition, with no doubt most remarkable results. Yet in this sphere too we find the influence of a resolute determination, as distinguished from a natural yearning, as, for instance, in the year 1842, when he resolved to write chamber music, it is said that he shut himself up with the scores of Beethoven’s string quartetts, and having, as it were, assimilated their very essence, he proceeded to compose the three quartetts known as op. 41. There are evidences[25] of a like mental habit in connection with his larger works, which may be investigated by those who care to do so.
It is, however, in the piano compositions of his early period that one finds the truest expression of his genius. He was indeed the poet of the piano, and he has left us, in this style, a wealth of rich romantic beauty.
The E♭ Piano Quintett
The Piano Quintett in E♭, op. 44, is generally regarded as one of the best works which Schumann has given to the world in chamber music form. It is, from the outset, characterised by a straight-forwardness of utterance which is not always found in his compositions, and it is also more than usually grateful to play. The first movement, which is distinguished by an impressive and stately rhythm, preserves an astonishing freshness, even after one notices that it consists of an almost unceasing repetition of the first few notes of both its principal themes. The dirge-like “In modo d’una Marcia” movement, which follows, carries with it the convincing argument of true melody and well-contrasted episodes; the scherzo, with its homespun scale passages, which are, however, so treated as to sound quite unusual; these, and the finale, which brings the work to a resounding and successful conclusion, are all quite clear and need no commentary. That such a work should meet with high approval and retain a permanent hold on the musical world is what might naturally be looked for.
The Piano Quartett op. 47, in the same key, E♭, is written somewhat in the same manner, but with hardly the sustained energy and character of the quintett. It is in the andante of this work that we find the succession of sevenths in the chief melody which, while charming in effect, illustrate the tendency frequently shown by Schumann to write passages in the Rosalia form. This is to repeat a phrase or melody at another pitch several times in succession, a method which, at any rate in Germany, is regarded as betokening a certain weakness of inventive power. It is also in this andante that the ’cello tunes the fourth string down to B♭, so as to sustain a pedal bass on that note during the last bars of the movement.
Piano Trios
Of the three piano trios, that in D minor is the finest work, and contains much that is admirable, especially as it avoids, as indeed is Schumann’s constant custom, the mere bravura pianoforte style of writing. These trios do not, however, compare favourably with the quintett or quartett named above, and this applies more especially to that in G minor.