Clara Schumann (1819-1896), born Clara Josephine Wieck, was active as pianist and composer, when in 1840 she married the composer Robert Schumann.
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Although many (including Chopin) spoke highly of her work, it was difficult for a woman in the nineteenth century to gain recognition as a composer. Music critics of the 19th c. were of the opinion that "of course" there could be no serious review of a woman's work "because one was dealing with a lady." Others wrote: "I do not believe in the feminine form of the word creator... and I dislike anything that even remotely smacks of women's emancipation." Such male critics were only willing to ascribe "reproductive genius" to the "fairer sex" - in other words, women were treated as birthing machines.
That was also Clara's fate. Despite her excellent education and genius for music, her husband Robert Schumann just saw her as a means to reproduce and make as many babies as possible - in the 16 years of her marriage Clara gave birth to 8 children (not to speak about the miscarriages she also had), so half the time of their marriage Clara was pregnant. Schumann also was very much against Clara's wish to continue her career as a pianist - he needed a housewife.
Clara unfortunately was not resistant against the negative opinions about woman-musicians - she gradually lost her interest in composition and even stopped completely after the death of her husband. Her piano trio is generally regarded as the high point of her work, although she herself said disparagingly: "Of course it is and remains the work of a woman in which power and here and there inventiveness are lacking."
Happily, this trio is still being played today. Clara Schumann composed it in 1846, a year of great stress for her. She and her family had recently relocated to Dresden, and her husband Robert became so ill that the burden of supporting him and their four children in an unfamiliar city fell mostly to Clara. She taught and concertized tirelessly, even performing a recital on July 27, a day after her diary hinted that she had suffered a miscarriage.
The Piano Trio is a wonderful example of the German romantic style, personal, intimate and never seeking attention for technical prowess. It is a brilliant composition, of a highly poetic nature. It is played below by the ATOS Trio consisting of Annette von Hehn, violin; Thomas Hoppe, piano; and Stefan Heinemeyer, violoncello. The four movements are: Allegro moderato, Scherzo - Tempo di Menuetto, Andante - più animato, and Allegretto.
The Creative Art of Clara Schumann, by Claire Flynn, National University of Ireland thesis, August 1991
About Clara Schumann at Interlude.
Women Composers Index