Becoming Clara Schumann: Performance Strategies and Aesthetics in the Culture of the Musical Canon

Clara Schumann was a renowned pianist before marrying Robert Schumann and continued to concertize extensively after his death. She forged her own career and played an important role in forming classical music culture. Alexander Stefaniak's book "Becoming Clara Schumann" explores her career, including performances, compositions, and teaching, and reveals her as an accomplished strategist who shaped the canonization of her husband's music. It highlights her success and prestige by crafting her own playing style, selecting and composing her own concerts, and acting as her own manager.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 326 pages
Publication date: 02 November 2021
Publisher: Indiana University Press

Clara Schumann, a renowned pianist before her marriage to Robert Schumann, continued to concertize extensively after his death. Despite being professionally tied to Robert, Clara forged her own career and played a significant role in shaping the culture of classical music. Becoming Clara Schumann: A Guide to Her Life and Career, written by Alexander Stefaniak, delves into Schumann's life, encompassing her performances, compositions, edits to her husband's music, and teaching. Stefaniak brings together a comprehensive collection of Schumann's concert programs, detailed accounts of her performances, and previously unexplored primary source material to shed light on her position within the concert life and musical aesthetics of her time.

Through his research, Stefaniak reveals that Clara Schumann was an accomplished strategist, having played approximately 1,300 concerts across western and central Europe throughout her six-decade career. She not only shaped the canonization of her husband's music but also played a significant role in breaking down gender boundaries in the field of musical performance.

Clara Schumann achieved success and prestige by crafting her own playing style, selecting and composing her own concerts, and acting as her own manager. By highlighting her navigation of the gendered boundaries of her musical culture, Becoming Clara Schumann details how she cultivated her public image to win over audiences and embody some of the most ambitious aspirations for musical performance of her time.

This book offers a valuable insight into the life and career of Clara Schumann, shedding light on her contributions to classical music and her impact on the field. It is a must-read for music enthusiasts, scholars, and anyone interested in the history of women in music.

Weight: 528g
Dimension: 155 x 233 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780253058287