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Birth and parentage -- Inherited characteristics -- Early musical training -- Hearing Moscheles play -- Literary culture -- The mystic nonade -- The poetry period -- First literary attempts -- Friendship with Rosen -- First year at Leipzig University -- At Heidelberg with Thibaut -- Music versus law -- His mother's letter to Wieck -- A peep into Wieck's house -- Enthusiasm as a pianist -- A fortunate calamity -- From piano to composition -- Early impressions of Clara Wieck -- Musical and social life at Leipzig -- The origin of the Neue Zeitschrift -- Its nature and raison d'etre -- The "Davidsbündler" -- The musician as editor -- The writer as composer -- Admiration of Mendelssohn -- Mendelssohn's attitude to Schumann -- Different traits of the two musicians -- Schumann in love -- Ernestine von Fricken -- A broken engagement -- "From old dreams to new" -- The love that lived -- Early love letters -- Clara Wieck as composer -- Parental opposition -- A move to Vienna -- The paper and "red tape" -- Devotion to Schubert -- A steel pen -- Composition in Vienna -- Aspiration to a title -- The newly-fledged "Doctor" -- Wieck's persistent opposition -- A wedding day at last -- A piano presentation -- Song, symphony and chamber music -- Longing for an opera text -- Composition of "Paradise and the Peri" -- Mendelssohn and the "Peri" -- "Paradise and the Peri", a unique work -- The climax of exertion -- Letter from Russia to "Papa Wieck" -- A trip to England contemplated -- Professorship at Leipzig Conservatoire -- A move to Dresden -- Contrapuntal work -- Looking for a libretto -- The writing of "Genoveva" -- The composer and his opera -- Delays and postponements -- "Genoveva" performed at last -- The "Faust" music -- Conducting choral societies -- Retrospective -- The composer as conductor -- The apathy of Vienna -- The shadow of the end -- From Dresden to Düsseldorf -- A pleasant start in the new sphere -- Congenial occupation -- As conductor -- Failing health -- Compositions of the time -- Sacred music -- The composer's scheme for "Luther" -- Librettist and musician -- Further compositions of the time -- Meeting with Brahms -- A last yearning Viennawards -- In the valley of the shadow -- Release at last -- "The end is not yet" -- The man. Circumstances and the man -- The short-lived melodists -- The musician as letter-writer -- Published letters -- Classification of the Schumann letters -- To his mother -- Hypersensitiveness to trouble -- Maternal letters -- Letter reference to early compositions -- Correspondence with college friends -- Madame Henriette Voigt -- Ernestine von Fricken -- Susceptibility to feminine grace and sympathy -- The poet-musician and beauty -- Friendship for Robena Laidlaw -- First meeting with Schumann -- A stroll in the Rosenthal -- Subjects of conversation -- Jansen's and Wenzel's tributes to the composer's early conversational powers -- Youthful sociability -- The attainments and personal charm of Robena Laidlaw -- Two hitherto unpublished letters -- Clara Josephine Wieck -- A contemporary opinion upon Madame Schumann's playing -- Madame Schumann as composer -- Early admiration -- A musician's love-letters -- Madame Schumann as an interpretative artist -- The musician and his children -- Attitude to professional friends -- Able and generous criticism of fellow musicians -- Appreciation of, and affection for, Mendelssohn -- An "affectionate visit" and mutual friendliness -- Opinion of Meyerbeer -- Wagner and his music -- Kindliness towards young students, etc. -- Miscellaneous correspondence -- Sense of detail, courtesy and consideration -- Pathetically humorous even to the end -- A significant letter -- The man as seen in his letters -- Personal aspects -- Appearance and build -- Taciturnity of latter years -- A silent repast and interview -- Meeting with Wagner -- Alleged vehemence -- The composer's reserve -- Importunacy quietly repressed -- The musician at home -- The Leipzig music-room -- At the Kaffeebaum -- Evening routine -- Schumann's religion -- Opinion of Berlioz -- Moscheles and Mendelssohn -- Abbé Liszt -- Resumé -- The musician and writer. Pianoforte playing ; Manner of performance ; Dörffel's testimony -- Improvising at twilight -- Other authorities -- A liberal education -- Regarding talent and genius -- The inexpressible ego -- Music and metaphor -- Essays from the Neue Zeitschrift -- Adverse comments -- Defense of the editor-musician -- Literary versus musical work -- Forging ahead with "full steam" on -- The musician as critic -- Sensitiveness to criticism -- Style as a writer -- Some remarkable essays -- Mendelssohn versus Meyerbeer -- Interesting miscellaneous topics -- Valuable musical advice and opinions -- The writer as poet -- Piano compositions -- Music for young people -- Pianoforte sonatas -- Variations on the name "Abegg" -- "Papillons" -- "Carnaval" -- "Davidsbündlertänze -- Shorter pieces -- Piece groups -- "Fantasiestücke" (op. 12) -- The concertos -- "Variation" work -- Compositions in all forms -- Symphonies -- Overtures -- Chamber music -- "Paradise and the Peri" -- The choral ballads, etc. -- Wanted, an ideal grand opera -- "Genoveva" brought out under difficulties -- Faith of the composer in his work -- A plea for the libretto -- Has "Genoveva" had a fair hearing? -- The "Genoveva" music -- Sacred music -- Well-known songs -- Other vocal favorites -- Poetic numbers -- Love songs -- Nature of the song music -- Artistic accompaniments -- Concluding remarks. |
