Robert Schumann for kids: his life, his music, and what to play first

Robert Schumann was a German composer who lived from 1810 to 1856. He wrote piano music, songs, and four symphonies. He also wrote the Album for the Young, a book of pieces for children that piano students still play. The best first piece for a child is “The Happy Farmer,” a short, cheerful tune from that album.

Quick facts

• Born: 1810, in Zwickau, Germany
• Died: 1856, near Bonn, Germany
• Era: Romantic
• Played: piano
• Known for: Album for the Young, Scenes from Childhood, the Piano Concerto, and more than 250 songs

The life in short

Schumann’s father sold and published books. Robert grew up reading stories and poems, and for a time he could not decide whether to be a writer or a musician.

His family sent him to university to study law. He went to few law classes. He practiced the piano, wrote music, and read novels.

At 20, he moved in with a famous piano teacher named Friedrich Wieck to train as a concert pianist. Then he hurt his right hand. The injury ended his hopes of a career on stage, so he put his energy into composing.

He also wrote about music and started a music magazine. He praised young composers few people had heard of yet, among them Chopin and, years later, Brahms.

Wieck had a daughter, Clara, who was one of the finest pianists in Europe. Robert and Clara fell in love. Her father refused to allow the marriage, and the couple went to court to win the right to marry. They married in 1840. Read her story in Clara Schumann for kids.

That year, Robert wrote well over 100 songs. People call 1840 his “year of song.”

Robert and Clara had eight children. In 1848, he wrote the Album for the Young for his daughters.

In his forties, Schumann became ill in his mind. He spent his last two years in a hospital and died at 46. Clara went on playing his music in her concerts for decades.

What the music sounds like

Schumann’s music changes mood in a moment. A dreamy page is followed by a bold, galloping one. He gave names to the two sides of his own nature: Florestan, who was fiery, and Eusebius, who was gentle.

He liked to give pieces titles that tell a small story, such as “The Wild Horseman,” “First Loss,” and “Knight Rupert.”

Four pieces to play first

“The Happy Farmer.” A farmer whistles on the way home from work. The tune is in the left hand, low on the piano, with chords bouncing above it. It lasts under a minute.

“The Wild Horseman.” A child gallops around the room on a hobby horse. Short, quick notes make the sound of hooves.

“Träumerei.” The title means “dreaming.” It is the best-known piece from Scenes from Childhood, a set Schumann wrote for adults about what it felt like to be a child. Slow and quiet.

Piano Concerto in A minor, first movement. The orchestra strikes one chord, and the piano tumbles down the keyboard in reply. Then an oboe sings a gentle tune. Clara played the first performance.

Things to do together

Name the piece. Play three pieces from the Album for the Young with no titles. Ask your child to name each one. Then read Schumann’s titles.

Fiery or gentle. Make two cards, one for Florestan and one for Eusebius. Play a Schumann piece and hold up the card that fits.

Gallop and freeze. Play “The Wild Horseman” and gallop around the room. Freeze on the last note.

Draw a memory. Play “Träumerei.” Ask your child to draw a dream or a quiet memory while it plays.

For piano students

Many pieces from the Album for the Young appear in piano method books and exam lists, so a student is likely to meet “Melody,” “Soldiers’ March,” or “The Wild Horseman” in the first few years. Hearing them first makes them easier to learn.

Print and play

Fill in a composer study notebook page for Schumann. For the other great composers of his time, read Romantic era music for kids. His friend Brahms and his friend Mendelssohn each have a page.

For more composers by era, see classical composers for kids.