Clara Wieck-Schumann A symbol of Courage “Clara has composed a series of small pieces, which show a musical and tender ingenuity such as she has never attained before. But to have children, and a husband who is always living in the realm of imagination, does not go together with composing. She cannot work at it regularly, and I am often disturbed to think how many profound ideas are lost because she cannot work them out.” Thus spake Robert Schumann of his wife(born on September 13, 1819) who was the most brilliant woman pianist of the 19th century and equal of Thalberg, Herz and Liszt — the great performers of her age. Though she could no more give up performing than her husband could part with composing, Clara’s role as breadwinner cast a prodigious strain on their relationship since she could make more money in three months of performing than he in a year of composing. As Robert said: “My situation is unmanly, and your conduct not womanly.” Nonetheless, she tirelessly promoted her composer husband and played a most influential role in the life of Johannesburg Brahms. Editor’s note: To further appreciate the lives of Robert, Clara and Johannes, I would highly recommend the novel TRIO, written by Boman Desai who skillfully interweaves the lives of the great musical masters of the 19th century within the setting of a novel with a historiographical bent.