Castle !

1 Perhaps the most infamous of all music love triangles is that of Robert Schumann, Clara Schumann, and Johannes Brahms. No one knows for certain what did or did not happen between Johannes and Clara, either in the time period while Robert was living with Clara or after he had moved out. This paper delves into what is believed to have happened between Johannes and Clara during their time in the Schumann house in Dsseldorf, as well as how the music and writings of Robert, Clara, and Johannes were related to each other and how they became intertwined into a musical love triangle. The love triangle cannot be understood without first giving a brief introduction to the composers themselves. Let us begin with Robert Schumann, who we will refer to as R. Schumann from this point forward. Born in 1810, he was the fifth child of August and Johanna Christian Schumann, and was born into a family full of literacy and books. Since his father was a book dealer, Schumann was able to read many of the classics of literature, and this early literary start can be linked to the way he wrote his music and stories that influenced his art songs from a young age. In 1820 at the age of ten, Robert and his brother Karl began to create their own theater productions. This is when, in 1821, Robert made his first performance appearance as a pianist. At the age of thirteen he began to write poems and other small literary works using the pseudonym Sklander. At the age of eighteen, his father and nineteen-year-old sister Emilie died, and he recorded his feelings in his diary which he had started a year before. As one can see, literary works and writing were deeply rooted in Robert and carried all through his adolescence. They would continue to be very important throughout the rest of his life. 1
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John Daverio and Eric Sams. "Schumann, Robert." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed November 30, 2013, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/ grove/music/40704pg4.

Castle !2 In 1828 Robert first meets Clara Wieck, the woman he will eventually marry after many battles with her father, Fredrich Wieck. At this point in time, Robert is studying piano with Frederich, where he meets some of the musical elite of Leipzig as well as Clara, who is only nine years old at this point in time, as compared to Robert who is eighteen, twice her age. Robert moved in with the Wiecks in 1830 and practiced piano practically nonstop every day. He was not having the best of times in Leipzig, however, due to the fact that Fredrichs main priority was to promote his daughters career. While in Leipzig, Robert began studying under conductor Heinrich Dorn, who taught him theory and counterpoint. At this time, Robert had a new diary entitled Leipziger Lebensbuch, in which he recorded the following statement on June 8, 1831: It sometimes seems as if my objective self wanted to separate itself completely from my subjective self, or as if I stood between my appearance and my actual being, between form and shadow. 2 This is the beginning of what seems to be the degradation of Roberts mental state,
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and one should also note that Robert gave nicknames to many of the people in his life. Fredrich Wieck became Meister Raro, and Clara became Cilia or Chiara. However, that was only the beginning. These characters appeared in Die Wunderkinder (meaning child prodigies), joined by the likes of Paganini and Hummel, and as well by a person called Florestan the Improviser. Florestan was, to put it simply, a personality of Robert, as was Eusebius. The Florestan personality embodied Roberts inner virtuoso, the embellishing and pompous side, while Eusebius resembled Roberts calm side, the thoughtful and laid back personality. One can

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John Daverio and Eric Sams. "Schumann, Robert." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed November 30, 2013, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/ grove/music/40704pg4.

Castle !3 clearly hear the difference between Florestan and Eusebius in two small pieces from his Carnaval, appropriately titled Florestan and Eusebius. We will now fully turn our attention to Roberts battle for Clara, starting with the year 1835. Robert and Clara openly flirted with each other, and as one thing led to another Robert eventually declared his love to Clara. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse. Claras father learned of their encounters and forbade Clara to see him ever again. That did not stop Robert from composing and writing about Clara, of which he did much in the months to come. Eventually Robert and Clara took their marriage request to the legal system, having plaintiffs grant their permission to marry. Much to Fredrichs displeasure, they were successful in court and married in 1840. A year later in September, their first child, Marie, was born. Schumann continued to produce piano works, as well as Lieder and other forms of music, and his mental state continued to decline through the years. 3
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In 1854, he was sent to a private asylum in Endenich, a suburb of Bonn. The director of this asylum was Dr Franz Richarz, who guided his patients on a no restraint method, meaning he believed that direct contact with the patients relatives would hinder progress of the patients. Due to this, Clara was not allowed to see Robert for almost two and a half years, and when she did finally see Robert it was what would be two days before his death. Although highly psychotic when first admitted, he gradually became better and was allowed to write to Brahms and Clara. Brahms was living with Clara in Dsseldorf at the time. During this time in the

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John Daverio and Eric Sams. "Schumann, Robert." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed November 30, 2013, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/ grove/music/40704pg4.

Castle !4 asylum, Clara had given birth to a baby boy, whom she named Felix, after Felix Mendelssohn. 4
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Richarz kept diaries for all of his patients; it is because of this that we have so many details of Roberts time spent at the asylum. Robert was allowed to travel to Bonn to view the Beethoven monument when he became healthier, he played the Lipp piano in the room next to him at the asylum, wrote and received letters from friends such as Joachim and Brahms, and friends visiting were allowed to see Robert through a small aperture in the wall of his room. Robert even managed to continue work on his unfinished Paganini harmonizations which he began in Dsseldorf. Richarzs diary also held the most probable cause of Roberts death, writing of how Robert had been writing down many different things, mostly melancholy in nature, with one particular writing saying In 1832 I contracted syphilis and was cured with arsenic. 5 The
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source of this disease is believed to be most likely be from a woman who Robert referred to only as Christel or Charitas, whom Robert was seeing in 1831 and 1832. Richarz recorded different behavioral changes as Roberts neurological state began to wither away, consisting of hallucinations, convulsive fits, gradual speech loss, delusional ideas (including that he was being poisoned), aggressive behavior, and long periods of screaming. Clara had no idea that Roberts mental state was so terrible, but when she heard that he had not left his bed for weeks, she decided to go and visit for herself. Robert was practically consumed with pneumonia but

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John Daverio and Eric Sams. "Schumann, Robert." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed November 30, 2013, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/ grove/music/40704pg4.
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John Daverio and Eric Sams. "Schumann, Robert." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed November 30, 2013, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/ grove/music/40704pg4.

Castle !5 managed to find the strength to embrace her. Two days later on July 29, Robert died, and was buried in a cemetery in Bonn. 6
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Clara Wieck was born in 1819 in Leipzig, Germany. Her father, Fredrich Wieck, taught piano and was known as an excellent piano teacher. Claras formal school education was not anything special, but her musical education was amazing. She studied under her father, specifically piano, theory, harmony, counterpoint and other topics. Clara played in the Leipzig Gewandhaus at only nine years of age, had her first formal solo debut at eleven, and began touring in Germany, Austria and France at nineteen. 7
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Needless to say, Clara was a very gifted pianist and much of her talent was brought out by her fathers teachings and hard work to promote his daughters career and make her as wellknown as possible. Ironically enough, at the point in time when Clara and Robert married, Robert was not a well-known composer, while in comparison, Clara was already internationally recognized as an excellent pianist and performer during a time when it was more difficult for women to have such fruitful careers. 8
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John Daverio and Eric Sams. "Schumann, Robert." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed November 30, 2013, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/ grove/music/40704pg4.
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Nancy B. Reich. "Schumann, Clara." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed December 1, 2013, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/ 25152.
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Nancy B. Reich. "Schumann, Clara." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed December 1, 2013, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/ 25152.

Castle !6 Before Clara and Robert married, Fredrich often and freely criticized Robert and his music; he despised the fact that he and Clara claimed to love each other and forbade them to see each other. Clara wrote about this later on in life, saying My father had to put up with being called a tyrant; however, I still thank him for it every day; I have him to thank for the freshness that has remained with me in my old age (at least in my art). It was also a blessing for me that he was exceedingly strict, that he reprimanded me when I deserved it and in so doing, prevented me from becoming arrogant from the praise the world showered on me. At times the rebuke was bitter, but it was still good for me! 9 After Roberts passing, Clara decided to make up for the
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years of lost musical expedition due to raising and caring for the family, and she toured and presented her works, as well as Roberts, making him more well-known postmortem than while he was alive. 10
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Having examined Robert and Claras lives, it is necessary to study the last point of this love triangle, Johannes Brahms. Brahms was born in 1833 in Hamburg, making him twentythree years younger than Robert and fourteen years younger than Clara. Brahms was given lessons on not only the piano, but the cello and horn as well. From seven years of age he studied piano with Otto Friedrich Willibald Cossel. After a few years of lessons Brahms was accepted by Eduard Marxsen, one of Hamburgs best teachers, for instruction in music theory and piano. Marxsen highly favored Bach and the Viennese Classical composers, and this was known to
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Nancy B. Reich. "Schumann, Clara." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed December 1, 2013, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/ 25152."
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Nancy B. Reich. "Schumann, Clara." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed December 1, 2013, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/ 25152.

Castle !7 Brahms. His first piano performance that is documented took place in a chamber concert in 1843, where Brahms played an tude by Henri Herz, a Mozart piano quintet, and Beethovens Wind Quintet Op. 16. 11 After Brahms left his schooling, he began giving piano lessons to help
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with his familys income, as well as playing popular music at private gatherings and restaurants and accompanying in the theater. Brahms threw himself into poetry and literary works, especially the works of Jean Paul, E.T.A. Hoffmann, and J.F. Eichendorff. Bach and Beethoven highly influenced Brahmss musical style as well. Brahms also developed a love of folklore, including folk music and tales, during his early years. 12
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In 1853, Brahms collaborated with Remnyi with a January recital and had a concert tour around northern Germany lasting from April to June. During this tour, Brahms met Joseph Joachin in Gttingen as well as Liszt in Weimar, who sight-read Brahmss Scherzo, Op. 4. During the summer of the same year, Brahms returned to Gttingen to spend the summer with Joachim, who highly encouraged Brahms to meet Robert and Clara Schumann. On September 30, 1853, Brahms did just that, and thus began his stay with the Schumanns in Dsseldorf. 13
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George S. Bozarth and Walter Frisch. "Brahms, Johannes." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed December 1, 2013, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/ article/grove/music/51879pg1.
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George S. Bozarth and Walter Frisch. "Brahms, Johannes." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed December 1, 2013, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/ article/grove/music/51879pg1.
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George S. Bozarth and Walter Frisch. "Brahms, Johannes." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed December 1, 2013, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/ article/grove/music/51879pg1.

Castle !8 Now that we have an overview of all of the composers of this triangle of forbidden love, let us take a look at the time period in which Brahms moved in with the Schumanns, examining the Schumanns life situation at this point, and most importantly, analyzing the music of Robert, Clara, and Johannes that links them to one another and the emotions their works evoke. We will also discuss letters between Johannes and Clara. It would be difficult to claim there was a love triangle of sorts without having any evidence to link Clara and Brahms together. After all, had Brahms not moved in there would be no love triangle at all. In 1871, Brahms made a manuscript that had Claras name with a tempo indication and the style in which to be played, unruhig bewegt, at the top of the page. This piece was written on decorated music paper, featured pedal indications, dynamic markings, specific fingerings, and was almost free of notational error. 14 Because of its legibility, the precision of instructions for
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performance and the paper on which it was written, it is said that this was a finished composition that he presented to Clara. Brahms is said to have presented it in honor of Clara and Robert Schumanns 31st wedding anniversary on September 12, 1871, and Claras 52nd birthday on September 13. However, at this point in time Robert had been deceased for fifteen years, so speculation can be made that it was written nearly entirely for Clara, and his claim that it was for the Schumanns anniversary could have been a safety net if he was afraid of rejection if he presented the manuscript purely on the idea of it being for Clara.

! Paul 14

Berry. Old Love: Johannes Brahms, Clara Schumann, and the Poetics of Musical Memory. The journal of musicology: A quarterly review of music history, criticism, analysis, and performance practice, accessed November 26, 2013.

Castle !9 As indicated by Claras diary, Brahms was one of many of her old friends who came to her house on September 13 of 1871, and this is when he hand-delivered the piece to Clara. It is believed that Clara kept the piece to herself, perhaps as a sign of high regard for what Brahms had written for her, or possibly an attempt to keep the public from making assumptions about Brahms and Claras relationship. In 1878, Brahms had completed his Klavierstcke and played three pieces from this set of music, including the piece he gifted to Clara. The piece had now come to be known as Capriccio, and had undergone modifications in comparison to the original manuscript Brahms presented to Clara. Clara has written three letters about Capriccio that allow us to see her thoughts on the gift, as well as her opinion on his modifications of the piece. 15
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In Claras first letter, she describes Brahms as charming as never before. 16 Brahmss
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presentation of his original and unpublished composition helped Clara have high regard for him and was an excellent birthday gift. In her second letter from July 6, 1877, she writes of still enjoying playing the piece, which is still called Unruhig bewegt during this time, and she describes it as very difficult but wonderful, tender and melancholy, and says she felt joy and sadness at the same time. The last letter contains Claras thoughts of Brahmss revision of the piece he had originally presented to her, in which she stated that she was very much against the revisions he made. This letter shows Claras personal attachment to the piece and how she believed it was perfect as it was originally. Clara went into detail about specific sections Brahms

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Paul Berry. Old Love: Johannes Brahms, Clara Schumann, and the Poetics of Musical Memory. The journal of musicology: A quarterly review of music history, criticism, analysis, and performance practice, accessed November 26, 2013.
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Paul Berry. Old Love: Johannes Brahms, Clara Schumann, and the Poetics of Musical Memory. The journal of musicology: A quarterly review of music history, criticism, analysis, and performance practice, accessed November 26, 2013.

Castle 1 ! 0 had revised and why she believed the original version was better, whether it was due to sound or the fingerings of the keys she had come to know throughout her time of playing the piece.
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After reading the article which reprints these letters, I have come up with two theories about Brahmss affection for Clara. It is possible that Brahms revised his Capriccio with the intention of seeing Claras reaction and hoping she would give him some sort of hint as to her liking of it and having a personal attachment to it, which she did in a long letter she sent him. This would allow Brahms to keep his desires for Clara alive in the sense that he felt he might someday finally have her as his own. The fact that Brahms released his revisions seven years after the original manuscript was presented to Clara could have been a purposeful act. Brahms was presenting the world with his Klavierstcke, of which Capriccio was a part, but that did not mean Brahms could not have released his revisions to the public years earlier, had they been done, and had it as a stand-alone piece until he finished his Klavierstcke. My second theory is that Brahms really did not like his Capriccio as it was when presented to Clara in 1871, and did truly want to revise it and make it better. The fact that Clara sent him a detailed letter on why she enjoyed the original more and was unhappy with his revisions did not convince him to refer back to the original version and include it in his Klavierstcke, a sign that while Clara mattered a lot to him and he very much respected her opinion, he wanted Capriccio to become his own, if you will. This would mean that Capriccio was at first solely Claras, the way she saw it, and when Brahms made his revisions, it also became even more so his own work. After all, he did write the piece in the first place. Capriccio created what can be abstractly interpreted as a

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Paul Berry. Old Love: Johannes Brahms, Clara Schumann, and the Poetics of Musical Memory. The journal of musicology: A quarterly review of music history, criticism, analysis, and performance practice, accessed November 26, 2013.

Castle 1 ! 1 relationship between Brahms and Clara through a piece of music. Her high regard and many compliments for the piece can be seen as the high point in the musical relationship, and her complaints about the revision can be seen as a quarrel between the two musical geniuses. The fact that Brahms did not go back and use the version he presented to Clara in his Klavierstcke can be viewed as Brahms taking control of this relationship through music. This idea is highly abstract, but in Brahmss mind this could very possibly be how he viewed the piece. Capriccio is not the only example of Brahms showing his love for Clara. There are many others, including the art songs Alte Liebe and Unberwindlich, in which Brahms sets Goethes texts to music. Here is an excerpt of the art song translated in English: I must have sworn a thousand times Never again to trust that bottle; Still its like Im born anew When my innkeeper lets me see it. Everything about it beckons, Crystal glass and purple wine; Once the corks been popped, the bottles Empty, and Im not myself. I must have sworn a thousand times Never to trust that lying woman, And yet Im still born anew When she lets my eye meet hers. Even if she treats me falsely As befell the strongest man: Put your scissors in my hair, My beloved Delilah!
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This song describes a man who cannot resist the desires of his old romance, and he turns to

alcohol to escape the pain of not having the woman he desires and loves as his own. The piano postlude in Alte Liebe has links to the sound of Capriccio, a purposeful tie by Brahms. Much like Capriccio, Alte Liebes original version that Brahms wrote on manuscript paper was changed slightly throughout, which Clara also noticed, much as she did in Capriccio. Clara played Alte Liebe herself and noticed the correlations, bringing back her many memories of the Capriccio,

r!18 Paul Berry. Old Love: Johannes Brahms, Clara Schumann, and the Poetics of Musical Memory. The journal of musicology: A quarterly review of music history, criticism, analysis, and performance practice, accessed November 26, 2013.

Castle 1 ! 2 much to Brahmss liking. This distinct link between Capriccio and Alte Liebe set the light in which Clara views the pieces, now seeing that Brahms is trying to tell her something. Both pieces were written for Clara, therefore there was significant influence in the sound of the pieces harmonically, as well as dynamics and the major/minor sound Brahms incorporated into these works. While she most likely already knew that he was in love with her, she did not openly return the same kind of affections for him as he presented for her. Now we will move on to one of Brahmss last works, Op. 118, with a focus on movement two, andante teneramente. It is suggested by musicologists and other scholars of music that this piece is undoubtedly related to Clara Schumann. To put this piece into context, it was written four years before Brahmss death, and three before Claras death. There are several reasons Op. 118 is suspected to be written about Clara. Brahmss Op. 118 begins in A major with a lyrical melody, beginning slowly then slowly accelerating in speed and intensity with dotted rhythms, and the bass line keeps a smooth motion, switching between arpeggio motion and chord motion. This section repeats and the second section is presented, which musically has a more urgent feeling to it, featuring many crescendos and diminuendos while the piece steadily increases in pace over time. The following section is very short and features a chromatic melody. Written as legato, it features an almost vocal-like quality in its motion. The second section is repeated with more urgency than before and we are introduced to the modulation into f# minor. This A major section can be interpreted as Brahms trying to get Claras attention, to have her as his own but she isnt interested, no matter how

Castle 1 ! 3 much he tries or what he does and his frustration can be felt in the urgency that the A major section builds up over time.
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The f# minor section features a three on two feel with a constant triple in the left hand much of the time. This gives it a chaotic quality, as if two people are attempting to speak at the same time and be heard over one another. Those two people could easily be interpreted as Clara and Johannes. This section is repeated, followed by a section written as piu lento, which features a dream-like quality and is very legato. This section seems to have a little more control than the chaotic first section. It then moves back to Tempo 1, in which the right hand takes over with a soaring melody that extends the dream-like state from the previous section, while the left hand continues with the climax of emotion for the piece. This can be seen as Brahmss cry for desperation out of his desire and love for Clara. 20
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In the final section of Brahmss Op. 118 No. 2, it transitions back into A major, featuring the same contemplative and sad sound as the beginning, this time sadder than when it was first presented. The ending becomes simpler harmonically and melodically, as if Brahms is giving up on Clara, and ends with an arpeggiated chord that is beautiful and longing, as if Brahms knows it is just not meant to be. 21
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There are many letters and more music examples between Clara and Brahms that show Brahmss desire for Clara, and it is ironic that even though Brahms wanted Clara so badly, he

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Brahms Op. 118 No 2. Last modified February 9, 2011. http://tdoanmusichistory.blogspot.com/2011/02/brahms-intermezzo-op-118-no-2.html

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Brahms Op. 118 No 2. Last modified February 9, 2011. http://tdoanmusichistory.blogspot.com/2011/02/brahms-intermezzo-op-118-no-2.html

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Brahms Op. 118 No 2. Last modified February 9, 2011. http://tdoanmusichistory.blogspot.com/2011/02/brahms-intermezzo-op-118-no-2.html

Castle 1 ! 4 still went to visit Robert in the asylum, at a time when Robert was in no position to be able to fight for Clara and keep her as his own. It will most likely never be known for a fact that anything did or did not happen between Clara and Brahms in a romantic setting, but Claras letters to Brahms, while affectionate in some cases, did not reciprocate the emotions that Brahms felt for Clara. I rigorously searched for any link in Claras music that related to Brahms in a romantic setting, but could fine none. Clara only thought of Brahms platonically, and even if she did think of him as more than just a friend, we certainly have no evidence that she ever acted upon it. Due to the amount of material and knowledge on Brahms and Claras relations, as well as the musical works between the two of them and their letters, we can come to the conclusion (and somewhat of a speculation in a sense) that Brahms never did have Clara as his own, as his lover, but rather she stayed a very close friend and faithful to her husband Robert through his last of days spent in the asylum, and even after his passing, throughout the rest of her widowed life. Brahms visiting Robert in the asylum shows of a deep friendship between the two, and a deep respect for Robert on Brahmss part. Clara being able to visit Robert after nearly two and a half years of not seeing him at all and taking advantage of that opportunity shows her deep love for Robert. While there may have been a love triangle, it seems that the majority of the romantic love was posed by Brahms towards Clara, and while she did not outrightly reject him, she did not talk and write to him in the same romantically affectionate way that he did to her. Thus we see that the love triangle was more of a figment of Brahmss innermost desires than an actual reality, in which Clara loved both Robert and Johannes in the same way, even after Roberts passing.

Castle 1 ! 5 Bibliography

Nancy B. Reich. "Schumann, Clara." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed December 1, 2013, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/ article/grove/music/25152.

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John Daverio and Eric Sams. "Schumann, Robert." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed November 30, 2013, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/ subscriber/article/grove/music/40704pg4. George S. Bozarth and Walter Frisch. "Brahms, Johannes." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed December 1, 2013, http:// www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/51879pg1. Paul Berry. Old Love: Johannes Brahms, Clara Schumann, and the Poetics of Musical Memory. The journal of musicology: A quarterly review of music history, criticism, analysis, and performance practice, accessed November 26, 2013. Brahms Op. 118 No 2. Last modified February 9, 2011. http://tdoanmusichistory.blogspot.com/2011/02/brahms-intermezzo-op-118-no-2.html Idil Biret. Brahms: Klavierstcke Opp. 76, 79 & 116. 1994 by Naxos. B0000013PK. Compact disc. Yaroslav Senyshyn. Johannes Brahms: Intermezzo in A Major: Andante Teneramente, Op. 118. 1988 by Platon Promotions. B003ANISIA. Compact disc.