Clara Schumann: The Artist and the Woman. (Book Reviews: Composers).(Book Review)

Clara Schumann: The Artist and the Woman. By Nancy B. Reich. Revised ed. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 2001. (xxvii, 385 p. ISBN 0-8014-3740-7. $50 (hbk.); ISBN 0-8014-8637-8. $21.95 (pbk.).] Illustrations, catalog of works, bibliography, index.

In the preface to the first edition of her landmark biography of Clara Schumann (1985), Nancy B. Reich stated, "In seeking a modern approach to this great artist, I have examined new sources and reexamined old. This study has deepened my regard for the artist and the woman; it has also convinced me that she is worthy of the truth" (p. xii). The quest for historical truth was evident throughout the book, as the author provided a more thorough, well-rounded, and realistic portrait of this complex woman than had been available up to that time. The impetus for a revised edition was not a reinterpretation of this portrait, but rather the availability of new sources of documentation that she was unable to use in preparing the first edition. Of these new sources, Reich states, "though they did not change my basic conceptions of the character and personality of Clara Schumann, [they] have informed this revised edition and enriched my understanding and admiration of this remarkable woman" (p. ix). The result is an enl arged and improved version of an excellent study with many of the same strengths and weaknesses as its predecessor. Foremost among the strengths is the delineation of Schumann's character. While pointing out the overwhelming challenges and devastating losses that dogged her entire life, Reich makes no attempt to paint her as a saint or hero. In her "warts and all" approach, she repeatedly reminds the reader that Clara was plain in appearance (in contrast to the engravings that have graced a recent stamp and DM 100 bill in Germany), blunt in speech, and occasionally irascible (as with Ferdinand Hiller when she received a basket of flowers in lieu of payment for a concert in Dusseldoff [pp. 161-62] or with Johannes Brahms throughout their long and rocky friendship). Rather than offer easy answers to questions such as why Clara visited Robert only once during his two and one-half years in the asylum at Endenich or why she gave her children so little of her time and attention, Reich uses these issues to show the conflicting aspects of her personality. Though the author clearly admires her subject, this admiration is the result of understanding and acceptance of her human frailties as well as her strengths.

The principal strategy by which Reich illuminates Clara's personality is the examination of her relationships to others. In this she is following the lead of previous biographers who have concentrated almost exclusively on her relationships to her father Friedrich Wieck, her husband Robert, and her close friend Brahms. Reich brings new depth to our understanding of Clara's relationships, particularly the one with her father. Reich recognizes the complexity of his character and resists the temptation to portray him as a two-dimensional villain. Her willingness to show Clara's ambivalence toward her father allows us to recognize both the debt that she owed him and the price that she paid for his obsessive control. The relationship with Robert is also given new depth, as Reich illustrates both the mutual devotion and the uncomfortable rivalry of their lives together. Turning to the relationship with Brahms, she avoids the sort of spirited speculation and even malicious gossip" (p. 169) that have characterized pr evious discussions of this friendship, concentrating instead on "the musical and personal ...