Robert Schumann (1810-1856) was not a child prodigy like his contemporaries Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847), Frederic Chopin (1810-1849), Franz Liszt (1811-1886)—or his wife Clara (1819-1896).

Clara started playing piano at age four when living with her mother who had just left her husband, Clara’s father, Friedrich Wieck. Under the law of the State of Saxony, Germany, a father had the right to take custody of his child at age five! Wieck did so.