Clara Schumann's father, Friedrich Wieck, was a man of formidable ambition who determined his daughter would succeed as a pianist of international repute.
Composer Biography
Clara Schumann studied counterpoint with Christian Weinlig, the Cantor of St Thomas's Church in Leipzig, a post previously held by J.S. Bach.
Composition History
Clara Schumann composed her Piano Trio in G minor while pregnant with her fourth child, unable to tour, and after a close study of Bach and Cherubini with her husband.
Composer Biography
Felix Mendelssohn, Fanny's brother, admired her compositions but initially would not agree to have her songs printed, though he sometimes published them under his own name.
Composer Biography
Clara Schumann began her performing career at the age of eight, playing a Mozart concerto, and was rewarded with a new Stein piano from her father.
Historical Context
Fanny Mendelssohn and Clara Schumann lived in a period when women were not highly regarded as professional musicians.
Composer Biography
Fanny Mendelssohn's father, Abraham Mendelssohn, believed that 'only that which is feminine befits a woman,' discouraging her public musical career.
You might also enjoy...
Mendelssohn, Felix: Piano Trios Nos. 1 and 2
Rachmaninoff: Piano Trios
Dvorák : Piano Trio No.4, Dumky' & Mendelssohn : Piano Trio No.1
