Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

dreams
'
1830— SCHUMANN —1832 349
ment3 of a diary kept at this time, which are
preserved (Waaielewski, p. 325), reveal to us
the pleasant sociableness of the life which Schumann
now delighted in. The Italian music
which he then heard could indeed do little towards
his improvement, except that it gave him,
for the first time, the opportunity of hearing
Paganini. The deep impression made by that
remarkable player is shown by Schumann's visit
to Frankfort (Easter, 1830) with several friends
to hear him again, and by his arrangement of
his
'
Caprices ' for the pianoforte (opp. 3 and 10).
Shortly after this he seems to have heard Ernst
also in Frankfort. In the summer of 1830 he
made a tour to Strasburg, and on the way back
to Saxony visited his friend Eosen at Detmold.
When Schumann entered upon his third year
of study, he made a serious effort to devote
himself to jurisprudence ; he took what was
called a Bepetitorium, that is, he began going
over again with considerable difficulty, and
under the care and guidance of an old lawyer,
what he had neglected during two years. He
also endeavoured to reconcile himself to the
idea of practical work in public life or the
government service. His spirit soared up to
the highest goal, and at times he may have
flattered his fancy with
•
of having
attained it ; but he must have been convinced
of the improbability of such dreams ever coming
true ; and indeed he never got rid of his
antipathy to the law as a profession, even in
the whole course of his Eepetitorium. On the
other hand, it must be said, that if he was ever
to be a musician, it was becoming high time
for it, since he was now twenty years old.
Thus every consideration urged him to the
point. Schumann induced his mother, who
was stiU extremely averse to the calling of a
musician, to put the decision in the hands of
Friedrich Wieck. Wieck did not conceal from
him that such a step ought only to be taken
after the most thorough self-examination, but if
he had already examined himself, then Wieck
could only advise him to take the step. Upon
this his mother yielded, and Robert Schumann
became a musician. The delight and freedom
which he inwardly felt when the die was cast,
must have shown him that he had done right.
At first his intention was only to make himself
a great pianoforte-player, and he reckoned that
in six years he would be able to (?ompete with
any pianist. But he still felt very uncertain as
to his gift as a composer ; the words which he
wrote to his mother on July 30, 1830— 'Now
and then I discover that I have imagination,
and perhaps a turn for creating things myself
—sound curiously wanting in confidence, when
we remember how almost exclusively Schumann's
artistic greatness was to find expression in his
compositions.
He quitted Heidelberg late in the summer
of 1830, in order to resume his studies with
Wieck in Leipzig. He was resolved, after
having wasted two years and a half, to devote
himself to his new calling with energetic purpose
and manly vigour. And faithfully did he keep
to his resolution. The plan of becoming a great
pianist had, however, to be given up after a year.
Actuated by the passionate desire to achieve a,
perfect technique as speedily as possible, Schumann
deviseda contrivance by which the greatest
possible dexterity of finger was to be attained
in the shortest time. By means of this ingenious
appliance the third finger was drawn back
and kept still, while the other fingers had to
practise exercises. But the result was that the
tendons of the third finger were overstrained,
the finger was crippled, and for some time the
whole right hand was injured. This most serious
condition was alleviated by medical treatment.
Schumann recovered the use of his hand, and
could, when needful, even play the piano ;
but
the third finger remained useless, so that he
was for ever precluded from the career of a
virtuoso. Although express evidence is wanting,
we may assume with certainty that this unexpected
misfortune made a deep impression
upon him ; he saw himself once more confronted
with the question whether it was advisable
for him to continue in the calling he had
chosen. That he answered it in the affirmative
shows that during this time his confidence in
his own creative genius had wonderfully increased.
He soon reconciled himself to the
inevitable, learned to appreciate mechanical
dexterity at its true value, and turned his
undivided attention to composition. He continued
henceforth in the most friendly relations
with his pianoforte-master, Wieck ; indeed
until the autumn of 1832 he lived in the same
house with him (Grimmaische Strasse, No. 36),
and was almost one of the family. For his
instructor in composition, however, he chose
Heinrich Dorn, at that time conductor of the
opera in Leipzig, subsequently Capellmeister at
Riga, Cologne, and Berlin, who lived till 1892.
Dorn was a clever and sterling composer ; he
recognised the gieatness of Schumann's genius,
and devoted himself with much interest to his
improvement.' It was impossible as yet to
confine Schumann to a regular course of composition
: he worked very diligently, but would
take up now one point of the art of composition
and now another. In 1836 he writes to Dorn
at Riga that he often regi'ets having learnt in
too irregular a manner at this time ; but when
he adds directly afterwards that, notwithstanding
this, he had learnt more fromDom's teaching
than Dorn would believe, we may take this last
statement as true.
Schumann was no longer a
tyro in composition, but had true musical genius,
and his spirit was already matured. Under such
1 Schumann's grafcitude to him ]8 thus expresaed The man who
:—'
ftnt gave a hand to me ae 1 climbed upwards, and, when I began to
doubt myself , drew me aloft so that! should see leas of the common
herd of mankind, and more of the pure air of art.'