Sigma Alpha Iota

sai-national.org • WINTER 2018 • PAN PIPES 19 A WORLD OF MUSIC By Jayne I. Hanlin In Germany, there are several other pilgrimages for Schumann aficionados to make. I decided to visit a site in Leipzig. Opened in 2001, the Schumann-Haus is located not far from the city center. Robert and Clara Schumann moved to their first apartment on September 13, 1840, the day following their wedding. (It was only in the previous month that their court appeal to marry had been successful.) ey were the original tenants and for four years lived on the first floor of the neoclassical style building. Two daughters were born during this time. Today the restored 60-seat Schumann Room therein is a venue for special concerts and events. A private primary school aptly named "Clara Schumann" is also located in the building, and the Clara Schumann Music and Art School is in the complex as well. A shared marriage diary provides details for the museum's display boards, which focus on the couple's life during their early married bliss. Robert's office, redesigned in 2010, emphasizes his dual talents of composer and writer. e home quickly became a cultural mecca, and premieres of Robert's new works were heard in the Schumann-Saal, a music salon. Amazingly, the original decorative wall painting survived for the conservationists — and the public. It seems that the newlyweds loved company. Among their most renowned guests were Franz Liszt, Hector Berlioz, Felix Mendelssohn, Richard Wagner, Louis Spohr, Norwegian violinist Ole Bull, and Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. While living in these quarters, Robert and Clara did a lot more than merely entertain visitors and perform. Robert composed in all major genres of music: vocal works, chamber music (including a piano quintet, a piano quartet, and three string quartets), two symphonic works, and the first movement of his beloved piano concerto. He also penned articles for his Neue Zeitschri für Musik, taught at the conservatory, conducted one of his oratorios, and along with his wife, studied Bach's counterpoint. Since 2015, the museum's Sound Room features the playful interactive display designed by Erwin Stache, German sound artist. Stepping under everyday objects from the 19th century (such as glass crockery, a steam whistle, and a coffee mill) triggers these "instruments" to play melodies composed by the museum's Romantic composer. To see a video of how the room works, visit: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=d2kEN5PdWkM. Proof of the children's enchantment therein needs no translation. Aer exiting the building, you'll find a wind swing, stepping boards, ball game, and rope harp in the creative Sound Playground. Erwin Stache designed the electronics, and architect Michael Grasemann designed the wooden objects. Some visitors might merely glance at rather than experiment with these unique installations as I did. Had these been in the front yard long ago, I suspect that the happy couple might have done the same thing! Jayne I. Hanlin is an initiate of Alpha Omicron and current member of the St. Louis Alumnae chapter. Mrs. Hanlin, the sister of famed pianist Malcolm Frager, is the co- author of Learning Latin Through Mythology (Cambridge University Press, 1991). The Schumanns' First Home A view into the Schumann Room, used for concerts and events. A World of Music A World of Music A World of Music FOR MORE INFORMATION about the Schumann's first home and their lives there visit www.schumann-verein.de Photo: Matthias Knoch

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