How Robert Schumann Revolutionized Music

Everyday music engulfs us whether we are watching a show, listening to the radio, or shopping at a grocery store. Music gives humans the ability to express oneself when there is no other way. Music sparks more creativity, emotions and brain function than any other activity.

Music causes the brain to become active in the frontal lobe,parietal lobe, temporal lobe and occipital lobe.Music releases a chemical in the brain called dopamine which is found in the pleasure center of your brain. Depending on what is triggering the dopamine, it can motivate a person OR create cravings for sinful pleasures.

Music is another language people use whenever they want to express their feelings. Whether they are angry or passionate, there is always a melody for that emotion. It is universal and it brings people together. There are so many amazing artists that have a substantial influence on this generation and past generations.

Music is another language people use when they want to express their feelings. Whether they are angry or passionate, there is always a melody for that emotion. It is universal and it brings people together. There are so many amazing artists that have a real influence on this generation and past generations.

Schumann's wife, the composer and pianist Clara, wrote in her diary about his first visit, that Brahms was “one of those who comes as if straight from God. – He played us sonatas, scherzos etc. of his own, all of them showing exuberant imagination, depth of feeling, and mastery of form ... what he played to us is so masterly that one cannot but think that the good God sent him into the world ready-made. He has a great future before him, for he will first find the true field for his genius when he begins to write for the orchestra.”.

“Without Craftsmanship, inspiration is a mere reed shaken in the wind.” Johannes Brahms was an extraordinarily talented composer of his time, and, as said in one of his famous quotes, he truly crafted each piece of music he wrote with much care and delicacy. Ever since the early age of six years old, Brahms was infatuated with playing the piano, composing music, as well as conducting choral groups as well as symphonies throughout the entirety of his life. He was tremendously popular amongst friends, fellow composers, and other notable people of his time. His fame not only stood in the barriers of his lifetime, but also stood the test of time. His works are often compared to the likes of people such as the famous Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven. This impeccable trio

In 1824, rather than learning the alphabet or her numbers, Clara started studying piano, violin, singing, music theory, harmony, composition, and counterpoint primarily under the instruction of her father.

Music has been apart of society for thousands of years and an outlet for people's stress and other problems they may be facing. It helps the brain function and understand conditions better by breaking it down and trying to comprehend it. Music has made and is still making an impact on the lives of people all around the world. Because of its impact on peoples lives neuroscientist wanted to get to the source and have been looking at the brain to determine the exact effects of music and they can now answer the question, what effects does music have on the brain? Listening to music can send pleasure to your mind, decide your emotions, lower stress, and improve learning.

Clara was born into a very musical family in 1819. From an early age, her father planned Clara’s career and life down to the smallest detail. She daily received a one-hour lesson and two hours of practice. In March 1828, at the

Music of Robert Schumann embodies many of the most characteristic features of German Romanticism – deep psychological insight, aspiration for the ideal, intimacy, irony and bitterness. Advanced aesthetic tendencies of German culture in the period of 1820-40s found vivid expression in his music. In contradictions, which are inherent in Schumann’s music, reflected the complex contradictions of the social life from his time. His music is filled with a restless, rebellious spirit that puts him in the same line with Byron, Heine, Goethe, Wagner and others. However, the theme of rebellion in the music of Schumann has a psychological, but very lyrical representation. Compared to Heinrich Heine, Victor Hugo, and Ludwig Van Beethoven who viewed the world through the prism of social injustice, Schumann did not aim towards social revolt. The greatest part of his diverse heritage was his personal “confession” in music. Schumann’s piano music, for instance, Kreisleriana, Op.16 and the Symphonic Etudes, op.13, are truly a musical encyclopedia of the human soul with many nuances and tones, with shades of colors of joy, sorrow, anguish, doubt and struggle, dreams and anxieties, rush, despair, faith and courage.

My favorite composer among the list given is definitely Johannes Brahms. I am choosing to write about Brahms because I feel as though he is the leader of the romantic era. He was a very talented man, who at such a young age had already accomplished so much a composer. When he was a teenager he was already an established composer and creating beautiful music. My little sister plays the piano now and one of my personal favorites she plays is Brahms “Waltz.” I feel so light and beautiful when I hear the song. I feel it really mirrors his works well.

debut, he was age eight. Playing the piano his childhood was abusive and his abrupt education

“In the end we will not know what kind of man Schumann was. And it is good that we will not know. We have no idea how he managed to do what he did. And that’s for a genius the best way.” – Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau

One of the unique features of the 19th century composer Robert Schumann's output is the degree to which the verbal mediums of literature (such as poetry and drama) affected his musical output. While many operas have been inspired by great literature, Schumann's expression even in his piano compositions and non-verbally oriented musical works show a literary flair. "Many of his compositions allude to characters or scenes from poems, novels, and plays; others are like musical crossword puzzles with key signatures or musical themes that refer to people or places important to him" (Gifford 2012). Schumann worked as an editor and journalist for a popular musical magazine, the Neue Zeitsfchrift fur Musik, and had a great deal of literary self-consciousness about how he constructed his art (Gifford 2012). Ironically, Schumann's operas were not successful and it is his nonverbal piano works that have solidified his reputation for musical greatness.

Liszt was not only a principal figure in the Romantic Period but also a composer of enormous originality and arguably the greatest piano virtuoso of his time. As a composer, he radically extended the technique of piano writing, extended the harmonic language, and later developed chromatic harmony which led eventual breakdown of tonality, revolutionizing the music of the era. As a pianist, Liszt was the first to give complete solo recitals, and he did a great deal to encourage the performance of music by Bach, Beethoven, Schubert, Berlioz, Wagner, and Robert Schumann by transcribing their works for piano and playing them in his concerts at a time when they were insufficiently appreciated. He also helped younger composers, and he taught a number of pupils who themselves became famous virtuosos. Franz Liszt, one of the greatest pianist, was a living legend and admired by some of the most accomplished musicians in the world. His skills captivated his audience and impressed many musicians of his time.