Clara Schumann, a dedicated spirit: A study of her life and work

Music has few greater love stories than that of Clara and Robert Schumann. Nor did any female pianist of that day enjoy wider or warmer acclaim than Clara. Yet at no time did the path of true love, or success, run smoothly for her. Joan Chissell re-tells the story of her struggle to overcome her father's fanatical opposition to her marriage, of the acute conflict which, as a young wife and mother, tugged at her heart - between domestic life and the relentless call of the concert platform. She also shows Clara's unbowed resolve, after her husband's tragic mental breakdown and death, to take up the challenge anew, whatever the personal sacrifice or strain. A reappraisal of Clara's musical achievement is interwoven with the personal tale, primarily from the viewpoint of what and how she played, but also as teacher, editor and - possibly in more detail than in any biography - as composer.