The whole true behind Schumann’s self-injury. A tragedy in the life of a musical genius
Keywords:
Robert Schumann, self-injury, extensor tendons, handAbstract
In the field of Music History, Robert Schumann has been established as the epitome of German Romanticism. His works transcend the classical form of his predecessors and reveal his internal mental passions that strive to express themselves. In any case, his life was full of frustrations and upheavals that disturbed his mental health. Attempting to improve his piano technique led him to self-injure his right hand, which obviously affected his compositions and musical choices. The interpretations of Schumann’s psychosocial disorder pertain to a wide range of possible diagnoses, from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder to brain tumor and neurosyphilis. Mercury poisoning seems just as likely.
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References
1. Wilhelm Joseph von Wasielewski: Robert Schumann, Dresden, 1858.
2. Beate Perrey: The Cambridge Companion to Schumann, Cambridge University Press, 2007.
3. Daverio John: Robert Schumann, Herald of a “New Poetic Age”, Oxford University Press, 1997
4. Emil Vuillermoz: Histoire de la Musique, translated in Greek by George Leotsakos, Hypodomi editions, Athens, 1978.
5. Berthold Litzmann: Clara Schumann, an Artist’s Life, based on material found in diaries and letters, translated in Greek from 4th edition of Grace E. Hadow, MacMillan (editors), London, Breitkopf and Härtel, Leipzig, 1918.
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8. Berlin M, Zalups RK, Fowler BA. Mercury. In: Nordberg GF, Fowler BA, Nordberg M, Friberg LT, editors. Handbook on the Toxicology of Metals. 3rd edition. Chapter 33. New York, NY, USA: Elsevier; 2007.
9. Hahn RD, Cutler JC, Curtis AC, Gammon A, Heymann E, Johnwick JH, et al: Penicillin treatment of asymptomatic central nervous system syphilis. 1. Probability of progression to symptomatic neurosyphilis. Arch Dermatol 1956; 74:355-66.
10. Fraser CM, Norris SJ, Weinstock GM, White O, Sutton GG, Dodson R, et al: Complete genome sequence of Treponema pallidum, the syphilis spirochete. Science 1998; 281:375.
11. Danielsen AG, Weismann K, Jorgensen BB, Heidenheim M, Fugleholm AM: Incidence, clinical presentation and treatment of neurosyphilis in Denmark 1980-1997. Acta Derm Venereol 2004; 84:459-62.
12. Garnier R, Fuster JM, Conso F: Acute mercury vapour poisoning. Toxicological European Research. 1981; 3(2):77–86.
13. Marra CM, Maxwell CL, Smith SL, Lukehart SA, Rompalo AM, Eaton M, et al: Cerebral spinal fluid abnormalities in patients with syphilis: association with clinic and laboratory features. J Infect Dis 2004; 189:369-76.
14. Simms I, Fenton KA, Ashton M, Turner KM, Crawley-Boevey EE, Gorton R, et al: The re-emergence of syphilis in the United Kingdom: the new epidemic phases. Sex Transm Dis 2005; 32:220-6.
2. Beate Perrey: The Cambridge Companion to Schumann, Cambridge University Press, 2007.
3. Daverio John: Robert Schumann, Herald of a “New Poetic Age”, Oxford University Press, 1997
4. Emil Vuillermoz: Histoire de la Musique, translated in Greek by George Leotsakos, Hypodomi editions, Athens, 1978.
5. Berthold Litzmann: Clara Schumann, an Artist’s Life, based on material found in diaries and letters, translated in Greek from 4th edition of Grace E. Hadow, MacMillan (editors), London, Breitkopf and Härtel, Leipzig, 1918.
6. The Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature and General Information, 1911.
7. Jänisch W, Nauhaus G: Autopsy report of the corpse of the composer Robert Schumann: Publication and interpretation of a rediscovered document, Zentralbl Allg Pathol 1986; 132: 129–36.
8. Berlin M, Zalups RK, Fowler BA. Mercury. In: Nordberg GF, Fowler BA, Nordberg M, Friberg LT, editors. Handbook on the Toxicology of Metals. 3rd edition. Chapter 33. New York, NY, USA: Elsevier; 2007.
9. Hahn RD, Cutler JC, Curtis AC, Gammon A, Heymann E, Johnwick JH, et al: Penicillin treatment of asymptomatic central nervous system syphilis. 1. Probability of progression to symptomatic neurosyphilis. Arch Dermatol 1956; 74:355-66.
10. Fraser CM, Norris SJ, Weinstock GM, White O, Sutton GG, Dodson R, et al: Complete genome sequence of Treponema pallidum, the syphilis spirochete. Science 1998; 281:375.
11. Danielsen AG, Weismann K, Jorgensen BB, Heidenheim M, Fugleholm AM: Incidence, clinical presentation and treatment of neurosyphilis in Denmark 1980-1997. Acta Derm Venereol 2004; 84:459-62.
12. Garnier R, Fuster JM, Conso F: Acute mercury vapour poisoning. Toxicological European Research. 1981; 3(2):77–86.
13. Marra CM, Maxwell CL, Smith SL, Lukehart SA, Rompalo AM, Eaton M, et al: Cerebral spinal fluid abnormalities in patients with syphilis: association with clinic and laboratory features. J Infect Dis 2004; 189:369-76.
14. Simms I, Fenton KA, Ashton M, Turner KM, Crawley-Boevey EE, Gorton R, et al: The re-emergence of syphilis in the United Kingdom: the new epidemic phases. Sex Transm Dis 2005; 32:220-6.
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Published
2020-07-27
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Section
Historical Article
