Clara Schumann was already established as a successful concert pianist and composer in 1843 when she published her second book of songs set to poetry, Sechs Lieder, Op. 13. By this time, at the young age of 24, she had been married for three years with two children and proven adept at managing her family and her musical career simultaneously. Her virtuosity as a pianist was evident in the demanding accompaniments to these lyrical vocal melodies that expressed contrasting themes of love and longing; intimacy and loss; lightness and darkness. The singing style of the flowing musical phrases translate beautifully to the violin, allowing instrumentalists to explore the brilliant vocal compositions of a significant historical composer.
