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Longing
The Romantic era was the cradle for artists who lived life to the fullest and loved without restraint, and Robert Schumann and his wife, Clara, were the epitome of this unbounded period. Robert shocked and confused listeners with music that heralded the beginning of the modern era while he drove both his mind and his body to their limit. Clara was the most acclaimed female pianist of her time-a time that included Liszt, Chopin, Mendelssohn, and later, Brahms, whom Clara and Robert loved more than any other man. With characters of surpassing vitality, Longing delineates the most intimate details of the relationships between men and women with a surpassing precision, sympathy, and wisdom. Combining the dramatic historical narrative of The Alienist with the passionate sensitivity of Possession and the sensual intellectuality of The Unbearable Lightness of Being, it is a consummate achievement of the novelist's art.
509 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
July 5, 2019
Longing and passion are intertwined in this biographical novel of Robert Schumann and Clara Wieck-Schumann. Longing is a recurrent theme, and the word ‘longing’ appears many times. Robert, Clara and their friends passionately compose and perform their music, and passion extends itself to passion of the flesh.
From the moment that eight year old Robert hears Ignaz Moscheles perform Clementi’s Sonata in B-flat he forgets about his fascination with the pianist’s hair, and simply shuts his eyes and listens. “It was a new language, being spoken by a new being, being performed in a new world, being heard by a new boy who felt he was hearing it in confidence. He was destroyed by it, and what a luxury that was.”
Little child prodigy Clara Wieck learns to play music before she can speak. She is to become one of the greatest pianists of the Romantic era.
Robert and Clara’s paths first cross when she hears him play Schubert’s ‘Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel’:
“But it was not Agnes accompanying herself on the piano now. Clara could hear as much before she saw what she saw. This was a far more adventuresome pianist. As Gretchen sits with her wheel spinning and her head spinning, the former with cloth and the latter with covetous images of the very flesh and touch of the man who has taken her innocence, the pianist, like a lover, virtually infiltrates her song. He wraps his notes around her words and enfolds her thoughts within his music, which wanders key to key in endless speculation like the girl herself, who wonders if her lover will return, embracing death if he will not. The piano spins the agony of her desire.” It is a moment later that she sees him and is introduced. It is a coup de foudre for the little girl.
Intense piano playing, intense composing, intense relationships between various people. Passion and longing are the order of the day.
The story of Robert, Clara and their musician friends unfolds against the backdrop of the political events of that time. In fact, Robert is born to the sound of the roaring crowds as the Emperor Napoleon and his bride Marie Luise of Austria ride through the streets of Zwickau. Mr Landiss creates wonderful portraits not only of Robert, Clara and Friedrich Wieck, but also of Paganini, Liszt, Chopin, Mendelsohn, Wagner, and of course their great friend Johannes Brahms. There are also cameos of opera stars Pauline Viardot and Jenny Lind.
The author loves to play with words and also allows his characters to play with words to their hearts’ content. At times the beautiful prose meanders like Robert Schumann’s mind. The Prologue takes plays at the asylum known as Endenich where Robert Schumann spent his final days. The novel ends with a section called The Breakdown Dialogues. Even at the mental asylum Robert and the doctor indulge in word play.
This novel is a treat for music lovers.
###
Quotes:
“What was it with mothers? A genius emerged from the womb, and the mother feared he would suffer more from lack of funds than from the stifling of his art.”
“Improvisation was, for him, the writing of his autobiography upon the parchment of the air. But it was not merely the story of what he had become; it was also the story of what he was becoming. To make music was to give birth to oneself. You were, at the same time, naked, in terrible pain, dissevered, ecstatic.”
“To write for an orchestra was like throwing stars into an empty sky. And then to write, and play, a solo part was to fly among those stars in danger and delight.”
“He went back to his seat by the window and wrote songs in his head to Goethe’s words and wondered if one makes art to shut out the world or one shuts out the world to make art.”
“Music, in the meantime, obliterated words, thoughts, meaning itself. It rolled through one’s blood and brain with an ecstatic pitilessness.”
“A painter can learn color from a Beethoven symphony, and a musician can learn rhythm from a Goethe poem.”
“Literature interprets us, but music defines us.”
“Man without his politicians and police was at worst man disorganized; man without his artists was man erased.”
“One might come away whistling from an Italian opera; from a German opera one must emerge reborn, into both the silence of awe and the thunder of creation.”
“All one can express at any moment is himself. What if the self is shattered? What if the self has ceased to exist, long before life has ended? What if I have merely suffered as an artist but, in the end, produced nothing that might be called art?”
““Who you are not? My goodness, that’s a metaphysical subject of the first order. Think of who I am not. I’m not Schubert, alas. I’m not Frédéric Chopin. I’m not Shakespeare or Hoffmann. I am not, as the saying goes, myself sometimes. By which I mean, sometimes I feel I’ve lost my mind. And when the mind is lost, its possessor is, ipso facto, not who he is.””
“Such is the madness of madness.”
“Author’s Note
The epigraphs are archival. The characters are historical. The dates of events and correspondence are, when verifiable, authentic. The rest is fiction masquerading as fact, and the reverse.”
From the moment that eight year old Robert hears Ignaz Moscheles perform Clementi’s Sonata in B-flat he forgets about his fascination with the pianist’s hair, and simply shuts his eyes and listens. “It was a new language, being spoken by a new being, being performed in a new world, being heard by a new boy who felt he was hearing it in confidence. He was destroyed by it, and what a luxury that was.”
Little child prodigy Clara Wieck learns to play music before she can speak. She is to become one of the greatest pianists of the Romantic era.
Robert and Clara’s paths first cross when she hears him play Schubert’s ‘Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel’:
“But it was not Agnes accompanying herself on the piano now. Clara could hear as much before she saw what she saw. This was a far more adventuresome pianist. As Gretchen sits with her wheel spinning and her head spinning, the former with cloth and the latter with covetous images of the very flesh and touch of the man who has taken her innocence, the pianist, like a lover, virtually infiltrates her song. He wraps his notes around her words and enfolds her thoughts within his music, which wanders key to key in endless speculation like the girl herself, who wonders if her lover will return, embracing death if he will not. The piano spins the agony of her desire.” It is a moment later that she sees him and is introduced. It is a coup de foudre for the little girl.
Intense piano playing, intense composing, intense relationships between various people. Passion and longing are the order of the day.
The story of Robert, Clara and their musician friends unfolds against the backdrop of the political events of that time. In fact, Robert is born to the sound of the roaring crowds as the Emperor Napoleon and his bride Marie Luise of Austria ride through the streets of Zwickau. Mr Landiss creates wonderful portraits not only of Robert, Clara and Friedrich Wieck, but also of Paganini, Liszt, Chopin, Mendelsohn, Wagner, and of course their great friend Johannes Brahms. There are also cameos of opera stars Pauline Viardot and Jenny Lind.
The author loves to play with words and also allows his characters to play with words to their hearts’ content. At times the beautiful prose meanders like Robert Schumann’s mind. The Prologue takes plays at the asylum known as Endenich where Robert Schumann spent his final days. The novel ends with a section called The Breakdown Dialogues. Even at the mental asylum Robert and the doctor indulge in word play.
This novel is a treat for music lovers.
###
Quotes:
“What was it with mothers? A genius emerged from the womb, and the mother feared he would suffer more from lack of funds than from the stifling of his art.”
“Improvisation was, for him, the writing of his autobiography upon the parchment of the air. But it was not merely the story of what he had become; it was also the story of what he was becoming. To make music was to give birth to oneself. You were, at the same time, naked, in terrible pain, dissevered, ecstatic.”
“To write for an orchestra was like throwing stars into an empty sky. And then to write, and play, a solo part was to fly among those stars in danger and delight.”
“He went back to his seat by the window and wrote songs in his head to Goethe’s words and wondered if one makes art to shut out the world or one shuts out the world to make art.”
“Music, in the meantime, obliterated words, thoughts, meaning itself. It rolled through one’s blood and brain with an ecstatic pitilessness.”
“A painter can learn color from a Beethoven symphony, and a musician can learn rhythm from a Goethe poem.”
“Literature interprets us, but music defines us.”
“Man without his politicians and police was at worst man disorganized; man without his artists was man erased.”
“One might come away whistling from an Italian opera; from a German opera one must emerge reborn, into both the silence of awe and the thunder of creation.”
“All one can express at any moment is himself. What if the self is shattered? What if the self has ceased to exist, long before life has ended? What if I have merely suffered as an artist but, in the end, produced nothing that might be called art?”
““Who you are not? My goodness, that’s a metaphysical subject of the first order. Think of who I am not. I’m not Schubert, alas. I’m not Frédéric Chopin. I’m not Shakespeare or Hoffmann. I am not, as the saying goes, myself sometimes. By which I mean, sometimes I feel I’ve lost my mind. And when the mind is lost, its possessor is, ipso facto, not who he is.””
“Such is the madness of madness.”
“Author’s Note
The epigraphs are archival. The characters are historical. The dates of events and correspondence are, when verifiable, authentic. The rest is fiction masquerading as fact, and the reverse.”
February 27, 2014
This is the best book I've read in years. I finished it, then immediately started again on page one and read it all again. Then I read it a third time not long after that. I passed it on to a handful of friends, most of whom were just as excited about it as I was. Now, I have to confess that we are all amateur pianists who get together and play classical music for each other periodically. That must have something to do with our enthusiasm, because otherwise I can't for the life of me understand some of the half-hearted reviews here. We know the amazing story of Clara Wieck, Robert Schumann, and Johannes Brahms, so we are primed to enjoy this book. The story itself is so rich in romance and genius and history, that alone is a huge plus. But Landis's skill in weaving together a narrative from all the diaries, journals, letters, court documents--a huge pile of source documents--is quite amazing. I had little interest in the Schumanns before this book, but then I read several biographies on both Robert and Clara, as well as on Brahms, and I found Landis stayed very close to historical facts. The book also sparked my interest in the music of Schumann, much of which is now quite dear to me. I even looked into the music of Clara Schumann and found several pieces very appealing. Adding to the richness of the book is the historical background to the story of the Schumanns, the famous or semi-famous musicians of the times who came into their lives, the politics, the manners. And his use of language is wonderful, so often choosing just the right word, whether or not it might be in the vocabulary of an "average" reader. I may not be able to speak to the general public, but to someone interested in music of that era, I say, You must give this book a try. I'd be surprised if you don't enjoy it immensely.
Read
August 2, 2011You need a good vocabulary and a good dictionary to read this book. The first part of the story was fairly balanced between Clara Wieck and Robert Schumann and their story. But after he is institutionalized, Clara disappears. The author claims it is because she did not visit him but I just found the story unbalanced from that point and harder to follow. Robert's constant insane ramblings became tedious. It was good to read before bed because it definitely put me to sleep at that point. If the whole book had been just about the institution as the author had proposed, I don't think I would ever have finished it. The definitely lived interesting lives at interesting times but I would have preferred more love story or more historical story and less insanity. Many parts of this book I found very hard to take so it definitely stretched my world view.
August 12, 2009
A novel based on the lives of Robert & Clara Schumann. It took probably as long as I've spent reading a book this year. The story was interesting enough (though it bogged down a bit at the end when Robert was in the asylum), but the writing was terrible. The sentences were endless with countless clauses that made negotiating many of the sentences like finding your way through a maze. Then he insisted on trying to impress you with his vocabulary and including every bit of knowledge his research had turned up, even if it meant putting it in a footnote with only a peripheral relationship to the text. But it was interesting to encounter many of the major figures of early 19th century music & literature: Goethe, Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Heine, Liszt, Chopin, Brahms, et al.
December 10, 2023
This was an incredible book! The English used in it was marvelous and such a treat to read, every word chosen to be the right word. The prose was lyrical, beautiful, and mesmerizing because of this! I will say, you will need a good vocabulary to read this book.
I also think the author must be a classically trained musician because all of the music references and explanations were well detailed. As a pianist myself, I loved this! His tale of the lives of Robert and Clara Schumann was sumptuous and richly described. Everything about these two: the music, the passion, the travels, the madness, the joy, the philosophies, and the friendships they enjoyed, was fascinating to read about.
The story of their lives also includes many of the other famous composers and piano players of their time, like Felix Mendelssohn, Frédéric Chopin, and Franz Liszt. If you are at all interested in piano history, their lives are woven in and out of the lives of the Schumann's and it makes for good story-telling. Additionally, the historical settings and backgrounds in this novel were truly well done. Everything from manners to who is the current Ruler, was described carefully and intriguingly. I especially enjoyed the actual historical footnotes included at times. All historical fiction authors should do this!
I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed reading this book! It was erudite and clever, and - definitely! - was a delight to read. This is a must-read book, though I will caution: not for the "average" reader. If you are interested in German history, composer history, or even just enjoy classical music, I hope you discover this book. I loved it!
I also think the author must be a classically trained musician because all of the music references and explanations were well detailed. As a pianist myself, I loved this! His tale of the lives of Robert and Clara Schumann was sumptuous and richly described. Everything about these two: the music, the passion, the travels, the madness, the joy, the philosophies, and the friendships they enjoyed, was fascinating to read about.
The story of their lives also includes many of the other famous composers and piano players of their time, like Felix Mendelssohn, Frédéric Chopin, and Franz Liszt. If you are at all interested in piano history, their lives are woven in and out of the lives of the Schumann's and it makes for good story-telling. Additionally, the historical settings and backgrounds in this novel were truly well done. Everything from manners to who is the current Ruler, was described carefully and intriguingly. I especially enjoyed the actual historical footnotes included at times. All historical fiction authors should do this!
I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed reading this book! It was erudite and clever, and - definitely! - was a delight to read. This is a must-read book, though I will caution: not for the "average" reader. If you are interested in German history, composer history, or even just enjoy classical music, I hope you discover this book. I loved it!
February 18, 2018
A fascinating glimpse into the over-heated world of romantic classical music - told through the eyes of Robert Schumann and his love for and pursuit of Clara Schumann. These folks were the celebrity rock stars of their day - Clara as Taylor Swift, young prodigy, paraded through Europe as a celebrated pianist, wowing thousands in an era when the piano and its mastery was just coming into its own. Robert Schumann was older - a bad boy, composing disturbingly modern 'heavy metal' pieces that the audiences didn't understand, but Clara was captivated by. And their contemporaries, famous names now, but at the time, just other musicians 'on the scene' - Liszt, Mendelsohn, Chopin, Brahms - dropped in at their house to share their latest stuff - because there were no CDs, no bandcamp, no radio - only performance and published notes, after the fact.
This novel of the Schumanns' relationship is wonderfully witty and insightful, but does get tedious in the end ( after Robert is institionalized for madness). It takes commitment, as Clara needed to stay in love with her Robert
This novel of the Schumanns' relationship is wonderfully witty and insightful, but does get tedious in the end ( after Robert is institionalized for madness). It takes commitment, as Clara needed to stay in love with her Robert
February 1, 2018
An exception work of well researched history of the amazing Clara Wieck Schumann and Robert Schumann with guest appearances by Chopin, Liszt and Mendelssohn. Landis does not work very hard at any sense of time and place, but that was fine with me. The imagined inner workings of both Schumanns' minds was what fascinated, plus the convoluted story of their courtship. Landis leaves the Brahms' relationship somewhat unresolved, and just as well. What is love, after all. Vastly better than a biography.
March 27, 2022
La storia d'amore forse più famosa della storia della musica classica, ripercorsa non in senso cronologico ma per immagini e momenti caratterizzanti la vita soprattutto privata dei due artisti. Chi si aspetta che sia la musica in senso stretto la protagonista del romanzo ne rimarrà parzialmente deluso: sono i sentimenti e le esperienze private, intime, a prevalere nella narrazione, che resta comunque molto godibile e fluida
September 22, 2017
Ended the book feeling bereft, entertained, heavy hearted but in a seemingly good way, the depth of emotion surprised me, I don't know if the intertwining of the music which is part of my soul anyway having done it all my life just somehow gave me a different view, such a pure longing, was lovely to read and a book that engulfed me.
November 21, 2020
Storia bellissima e romantica e struggente ma la scrittura è lontana anni luce dalla tipologia di scrittura che amo. Minuziosa in dettagli totalmente inutili e quasi didascalica. Non c’è nessuno slancio, bella emozione che traspare, solo una fotografia super dettagliata. Non fa per me.
February 13, 2020
Incredibly well-researched, captivating, and authentic from cover to cover.
July 13, 2022
Beautifully written but so tragically sad.
February 23, 2015
This is a novelization of the greatest love story in the nineteenth century western European musical world, that of Robert and Clara Schumann. I thought it would be fun to read about Mendelssohn, Chopin, Liszt, and the Schumanns standing around talking together, but it wasn’t, and the fact that they broke into a game of leap frog didn’t help. I don’t doubt this actually happened; Landis’ book is painstakingly researched. I’m wondering if he had to include every single fact he unearthed; the prose is dense and tedious. He uses diary entries and letters for dialogue, which makes it rather stilted. I didn’t enjoy his characterizations of these musical greats, especially Robert, even though they are probably accurate. Most compelling for me was the last fourth of the book, which depicted Robert’s insanity. I actually think the book would have been better if Landis chose to write a nonfiction account of his subject matter.
February 20, 2013
Actually found this book in one of the many boxes still not unpacked...it had so many corners of pages turned down, I just had to re-read it again. All about the love affair between Robert and Clara Schumann...she was a pianist, too. Fascinating story. They were friends with Liszt, Chopin, Mendelssohn and...both of them were in love with Brahms.
"These brilliant and complex people enrich this sweeping story of a love that could not be denied but could not end happily. Set amid an appalling and enthralling era rich with creative genius, Longing explores the nature and danger of passion - - artistic and physical - - with precision, sympathy and wisdom. J.D. Landis has encompassed the madness, genius and passion that propelled his characters and he re-creates their lives with surpassing depth, wit, intelligence and compassion."
"These brilliant and complex people enrich this sweeping story of a love that could not be denied but could not end happily. Set amid an appalling and enthralling era rich with creative genius, Longing explores the nature and danger of passion - - artistic and physical - - with precision, sympathy and wisdom. J.D. Landis has encompassed the madness, genius and passion that propelled his characters and he re-creates their lives with surpassing depth, wit, intelligence and compassion."
January 24, 2012
This book was rather ponderous and boring. I kept reading it because I wanted to learn something about the life of Schumann after I had started. Unfortunately the author has a show-offy writing style and adds as many wee extraneous details as possible. This makes it difficult to wade through. Plus, so much navel gazing - not my thing. I hadn't know that all those composer folks knew each other and hung out together though so that was interesting. I guess I had some weird idea that each famous compose lived in a different time period. I know that's ridiculous, but that was my weird idea.
January 9, 2010
I learned a lot from this book about the romantic era composers and authors. I hadn't realized how much they were all friends with each other, and it was funny to picture pianists as rock stars. Clara and Robert's relationship is interesting to watch unfold, but the last third of the book when Robert is in the insane asylum is not fun to read at all. Reading this book definitely made me want to listen to all the music by Schumann, Mendelssohn, Chopin and others that they discuss, but overall it felt like a really long story that dragged at points so I couldn't give it more than 4 stars.
May 23, 2011
Lesser known than his contemporaries, Robert Schumann was a genius. Even lesser known than Robert, was Clara Schumann, a master at performance, the woman who compensated for her lifelong love's shortfalls. This is a very interesting rendition of their relationships, both with each other, their peers, their superiors and with their music.
Plenty is in here for a true musician, or at least for anyone who understands the basics of music theory. He harps on fugues a little much, but at least Landis understood that concept...
Plenty is in here for a true musician, or at least for anyone who understands the basics of music theory. He harps on fugues a little much, but at least Landis understood that concept...
December 2, 2008
An intimate, yet epic in length, novel about Robert Schumann, his wife Clara, and the singular threesome they created with Brahms - and where friendship and love intertwine in mysterious ways. It's a subject that has fascinated more than one writer, but Landis does a beautiful job. His writing is elegant and skillful. The book may be a bit long, perhaps, and is certainly slow, but the recreation of Romantic Germany and the evocation of the great masters of classical music is quite beguiling.
May 22, 2015
Rich in history, but embellished enough to be a compelling, fascinating journey into the 19th century world of Robert Schumann and his love, Clara Wieck. The focus on Clara is not at all unwelcome, as it seems she was the sane, steady, admirable genius. It's a stark contrast to his creative madness, so clearly unwell. It sang to me and urged me to listen to the music and artists talked about in the book, and play a few new piano pieces.
January 22, 2009
It took me a little while to get into the pace and style of this book, I found it fascinating and learned a tremendous amount. The story behind genius is always interesting to me and this fictional telling of the story of Robert Schumann and Clara Wieck was both brilliant and complex as they themselves were. . .
March 17, 2009
This was a bit slow getting started, probably because I was completely unfamiliar with the historical context surrounding Schumann and Clara Wieck. Once I got into it, it was great - full of famous composers including Brahms, Chopin, and Liszt. It made me really want to visit Germany, although many of the sites were bombed during the Second World War.
October 4, 2013
God, I adored this book so deeply when I was a young and feverish teen. I shudder to think what I might make of it now. Perhaps I ought never reread it, and spare myself the calculated agony of falling out of love with my memories of it, in adult life.
August 7, 2008
I did not like this book at all. I was expecting a beautiful narration of history and love but I derived from it wordiness and disinterest.
Read
October 31, 2008One of the best I have read! An author who is able to express in words what music feels like inside...About Robert and Clara Schumann...semi biographic.
January 19, 2009
Good book in general. Beautifully written. I love the style of narration the author uses.
But I don't know. It's just a bit too dull for my taste. It took me forever to get through.
But I don't know. It's just a bit too dull for my taste. It took me forever to get through.
Read
May 12, 2009Just starting
December 24, 2009
Story of Robert and Clara Schumann and Brahms. Pure pleasure (but maybe that's because I have a sweet spot for the period and the music).
January 29, 2011
The story of Robert and Clara Schumann and all of their classical music friends in the late 1800s. A bit hard but interesting.
November 1, 2011
Was fast-paced but twisted into strange rationale for Schumann's odd personality. Interesting tho.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews