Clara Wieck Schumann and the Struggle for Equality in Nineteenth-Centur

Clara Wieck Schumann and the Struggle for Equality in Nineteenth-Century Germany The place of women before and during the nineteenth century is hale summarized by a Bavarian statute book, which states that by marriage, the wife comes under theauthority of the husband and the law allows him to chastise her moderately (Gay 177). These ideas are similarly echoed in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of theCitizen and the writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The former did not afford women any of the rights provided for men, such as liberty, property, resistance to oppression,voting, free speech, etc. the latter reasoned that because women were the weaker sex, they should not (and moreover could not) be a part of society outside of the family.Although dominated by her father in the early years of her life, the pianist and composer Clara Wieck Schumann broke through the societal barriers inhibiting womenssuccess and independence, forming a reputable and commendable career during a magazine when womens lives were predetermined by a male-dominated consciousness and society. An probe into the mindset of citizens in the nineteenth century and the obstacles every woman faced especially concentrating on Germany followedby a description of the life and musical career of Clara Schumann will create greater recognition of the upward battle she (and all women) faced at that time, as well as thenotability of her career as wife, mother, and musician.Before delving into the life of Clara Schumann, a description of the world surrounding her must be made in order to understand the magnitude of her accomplishments. Among the positive factors of this time were changes in society from the late eighteenth century, su... ...tita. Concerto The Glowing Story of Clara Schumann. New York The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1961.Moraze, Charles. The Triumph of the Middle Classes. Cleve land The World publication Company, 1966.Nauhaus, Gerd, ed. The Marriage Diaries of Robert & Clara Schuma nn. Boston northeasterly University Press, 1993.Reich, Nancy B. Clara Schumann The Artist and the Woman. Ithaca Cornell University Press, 1985.Schumann, Clara Wieck. Secret Whispers Three Romances for violin and Piano. Kym Amps, Soprano Erica Deaaring, violin Joanna Borrett, cello David Carhart, piano. Meridian Records 1996.Susskind, Pamela. Clara Shumann. The New Grove Dictio nary of Music and Musicians. Vol. 16. London Macmillan Publishing Limited, 1980.Thompson, Oscar, ed. Clara Schumann. The International Cyclopedia of Music and Musicians. New York Dodd, Mead & Company, 1975.