Schumann's earliest compositions and performances

Robert Schumann’s career as a musician was not settled on at an early age. Though at eighteen he was an accomplished pianist, he had no formal training in harmony or counterpoint. Further, his enrollment in law school, decided on by his mother, brothers and guardian, relegated his musical pursuits to second place. Of these facts biographers of Schumann have long been aware, indeed, so much so that they have failed to emphasize the exact nature of Schumann’s earliest essays in composition and performance. In particular, the close relationship of the former to the latter has been ignored. This study will show that Schumann’s earliest compositions grew from his activities as an amateur pianist who in the course of time grew determined to become a professional. His early works were neither the exercises of a composition student, nor the result of isolated whim, but were written for immediate performance by himself and his friends.