Who Is This Woman?

by Carolyn Lowther

She was a child prodigy who began performing as a pianist at the age of eight.  At the age of eleven she went on a concert tour of European cities.  She was highly praised by the leading musicians of the day, most notably Mendelssohn, Chopin, and Liszt.  The younger Brahms became a lifelong friend and supporter to her. 

She married a composer, had seven children, composed 30 works for piano, strings and chorus by the age of 36, was the major breadwinner and caregiver for her large family (as her husband and one of her children were subject to bouts of mental instability), and left a lasting legacy as a concert pianist which exists to this day.

Again, I ask you, “Who is This Woman?”  As a music major from an ivy league college, I could not answer this question, as she was never included in any of the courses that I studied.  In all the concerts I have attended in my entire life, I have never heard one of her compositions performed. I believe that she, like many accomplished women from the past, was “written right out of history.”  .

She, of course, is Clara Schumann, wife of the famous composer Robert Schumann.  She was a brilliant pianist and composer as well as a devoted mother and grandmother.  In addition, Clara was responsible in no small part for her husband’s fame.  She tirelessly promoted him and was instrumental in getting his compositions recognized.  About her own composing ability, however, she wrote, “I once believed that I possessed creative talent, but I have given up this idea; a woman must not desire to compose—there has never yet been one able to do it.  Should I expect to be the one?” 

We at Phoenix/Scottsdale NOW are determined to shine a light on women like Clara Schumann, who led incredible lives and are now largely forgotten—often eclipsed by their own husbands.  And we are committed to getting the message out to young girls that they can accomplish anything, even if no woman has done it before.

To learn more about Clara’s life, please visit Wikipedia online.

Please go on our website often to find out about women from all walks of life who have made huge contributions to a field but never received the historical acclaim they should have.  We will celebrate a different woman from history every few months. 

posted: June 2, 2011