Madame Composer: The Virtuosic Genius of Clara Schumann

A triumphant and striking portrait of a cultural icon who changed the course of music history, and an invitation to reconsider artistic legacies.

A child prodigy equal to Mozart, Paganini called her a “genuine artist;” Goethe said “she plays with the strength of six boys.” She premiered the “unplayable” works of Chopin at age twelve, brought Bach fugues and Beethoven sonatas into the concert hall at sixteen. By age eighteen, the Austrian Emperor gave her a royal title, catapulting her to int...