Clara’s father was appalled by her decision to marry the unstable, financially unsecured composer Robert Schumann, so she had to win the marriage in court. Within 13 years she gave birth to nine children. In between she gave concerts as often as possible. In 1854, after the first symptoms of illness, her husband came in a mental institution, where he died in 1856. Clara Schumann was a close friend with Johannes Brahms and often gave concerts with him and the violinist Joseph Joachim. In later years she taught at the Conservatory in Frankfurt.
Clara Schumann’s compositions initially served primarily for her own performances and show the progressing virtuoso possibilities of the pianist. She composed 23 works with opus numbers as well as numerous songs, romances, overtures and piano pieces. In addition, she co-worked on several compositions of her husband Robert Schumann. The highlight of her work is the Piano Trio op.17. The Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in A minor op. 7, written at the age of 14, which does not formally conform to any of the piano concertos known to her, still elicits admiration today.