01x26 - The Clara Schumann Story

[bunniefuu]

[waves crashing]

[music]

Loretta Young show.

Starring Loretta Young.

[clapping]

Hello.

Talent is the themeof our visit tonight.

And, of course, as you know,there's so many kinds of talents.

For instance,

What a fine actor's like?

Well, Helen Hayes can tellus in a word or an attitude.

Harry Lubin, ourmusical director.

Conveys in a noteor a melodic change.

And in a momentbecause of a letter.

We are going to follow a Schumannsymphony back over years

to the sights and soundsand people and places

that are at scene.

And now, turningback to our letter tonight,

it's from yearold Edward Mead.

And he says,

I have been studyingthe violin most of my life.

In fact, music is my life.

Now my parents are crabbing atme for not going out with my friends

more often.

They just don't seem tounderstand that nothing and nobody

is as important to meas developing my talents.

Ed,

I think perhaps RobertSchumann's music

probably speaks moreintimately to you right

now than anythinganyone else has to say.

And it could tell you ofanother great artist, too.

Clara Schumann, his wife.

And of her thoughts on talents.

[music]

I saw that room first on Septemberthe th of the year, .

Oh, it was thehappiest day of my life.

In that room I knewjoy and despair, life,

hope and music.

Music first of all.Music last of all.

[door opening]

Oh.

[door closing]

Robert, what a lovely surprise.

Mrs. Schumann in yourkingdom and your sl*ve.

Oh, what a lovely husband.

Oh, Robert, it's a beautiful room!

Oh, look at that chair.

That darling little chair.

-Do you like it?-Look, Robert.

It just fits me exactly.

Oh, where did you ever find it?

That's my secret.

Oh.

Look at that cabinet.The work on it.

Robert, it's beautiful.It's absolutely beautiful.

Oh.

The music master.

You admire it once.

Oh, Robert, you are sweet.

And this table.

Oh, Robert, it's lovely.

On special occasions,we'll eat in here.

You'll sit there,and I'll sit here. And

the children willsit there and there.

How many children are you seating?

Oh, dozens. Dozens?

Immodest woman.

Oh, darling, we must haveat least a dozen children.

[kiss]

You've missed the mostimportant thing in the room.

What?

Oh.

Robert

It is beautiful.

[piano sound]

Oh, Robert you goingto enjoy working here

-No,no this is for you.-Oh.

I put my piano in my study.

Oh, Robert.

This is for you alone.

I could hardly marry the greatestconcert pianist in the world and

-not give her a piano.-Oh, you're sweet.

Mrs. Robert Schumann.

Mrs.Robert Schumann is delighted.

[piano sound]

Mrs. Robert Schumann is in love.

Mrs.Robert Schumann

[music]

Oh, Robert.

Isn't this heavenly?

Oh, I hope I can makeyou happy, Robert.

But that's what I amsupposed to say to you.

No, no, no. It's different with us.

All your friends probably thinkyou're not getting a very good wife.

While other girlshave been learning

about cooking andcaring for children.

I've been learningnothing, Robert. Nothing.

Nothing?

Why, you've been learningto speak with these hands and

some of the greatest voicesof the world. Beethoven.

Oh, sugared, you've won the applauseof the whole world of royals.

Robert, please don't speakas if any of that were important.

But it is important.

Why? Music hasbeen your whole life.

Yes, it has been my whole life,but not now.

Now you are my life.

And music willassume its proper place.

A part of it, but not all.

I don't want you togive up your music life.

It was music thatbrought us together.

I remember the first time I saw you.

You were and youplayed a piece I had written.

I still hope that in my memory

Robert, this is no time fora long discussion on music.

This is the beginning of our world.

Our first home, our first hour.

[music]

Robert, coffee.

Ah, the coffee.

There you are. Maybe.

Now, tell me. Are you happy?

Ah, Robert

I'm selfish. I want every clockin the world to stop right now.

Yes. I want us to remainjust like this forever.

If I could writethe music that I hear now.

My dear, I'm sureit will be beautiful.

You, you are very beautiful.

And you are very handsome.

Do you supposethat everyone talks

like this whenthey're first married?

Oh, no. Indeed.

No, no one ever felt like thisbefore. Robert, I'm sure.

Other people have been in love.

Oh, no, not like this. No, nothis began just with us.

Robert.

Robert, I want you topromise me something.

Promise you will never leave me.

Leave you?

[music]

Robert, I had thestrangest dream last night.

I dreamed I followedyou up the mountain.

And when I got almost to thetop, suddenly you were gone.

I couldn't find myway up or down in the mountain.

Robert, I was so frightened.

I woke up crying so hard.

I thought I had married a woman.

It's a child.

A child that cries over dreams.

-Oh.- I lost you.

-I think I really-Lost me?

Don't you understandwhat you mean to me now?

Oh, tell me.

With you, I have a new confidence,

a new sense of dedication.

I can express myself nowas I never could before.

Oh, you've become morethan just a woman to me, Clara.

You are my music.

Don't you know whatthat means to me?

My music.

As one musician to another,

I can pay you nogreater compliment.

Well.

As a musician.

No but

Well.

There's work to be done.

[Robert playing piano]

The words that I hadspoken a few short

weeks before echoedthrough the room.

Till death do us apart.

Why did I think of death?

Why did I think of partings

Why did sorrow comesifting through my heart?

I did not know. I only knew itwas suddenly cold in that room.

That empty room.

that was so full of music.

How many times in how many years didI gaze out that window? Who can say?

Not even I myself.

But somehow I associated thatwindow with every mood of marriage,

Joy, anger, tears, happiness.

I remember a summer storm,thunder mingled with pain.

And waiting throughthe long summer night

to hold our firstborn in my arms.

[music]

Oh, she's just doing splendidly.

How do you know?

My dear fellow, pleasegive me a little walking room.

Now, look here.

Having a baby is avery important process.

It can be dangerous. Alot of things can happen.

Doctor,

She's in pain.

Robert.

I want you to go intothe kitchen and fill every

large kettle with waterand put it onto boil.

And I don't want you totouch this door until I open it.

She'll be all right, will she?

Trust me.

[door closing]

[music]

I don't know why it is, buthusbands always seem to

need more treatment duringconfinement than wives.

-How is she?- Go and see for yourself.

No use asking you forwater. I'll get it myself.

How do you feel?

Wonderful.

[laugh]

Isn't she lovely?

Have you ever in your lifeseen such tiny little hands?

She must play thepiano just like you do.

Maybe she won'twant to play the piano.

Of course she will. She's our child.

She'll feel the same wayabout music that we do.

What is that, Robert?

Music is our life.

Is it?

Well, of course.

It is the only way Ican express myself.

Clara.

I have no words togive you at this moment,

-My dear.-this matchless moment.

Ah.

But, I can give you music.

[piano sound]

The music that Robert playedthat night was full of glory.

And yet I wept. I weptwithout knowing why.

I have life cradled in my arms,

and Robert had turnedfrom life to music.

[music]

We had been blessed withthree more lovely children.

That room was hometo me as no other room

ever had been beforeor ever would be again.

I was always sorry to leave it.

Yet periodically we hadto go off on a concert

tour to earn moneyfor our daily bread.

Robert sometimes calledour children the little people.

And what dear littlepeople they were.

How it hurt me to leave them.

[music]

We played concert after concertin most of the capitals of Europe.

And wheneverpossible, I play decent.

The wonderful newmusic that he was writing.

The immortal signaturehe would leave behind me.

There was applause,there were honors,

but none could approach thewarmth of coming home.

If I should die before I awake.

If I should die before I awake.

I pray the lord my soul to take.

I pray the lord my soul to take.

-Good night god.-Good night god.

Good boy.

-Mama?-Yes, dear?

Is papa going towork on that again?

Well, I hope not. But he's composinga...

He's not composing something.

Well, of course he is, dear.

That's your father's work.

What would happen ifhe stopped composing?

There won't amusic in the world.

[music]

Well, at least there wouldn't beany like his. Now, you run along.

[Piano playing]

Oh, my dear, you look so tired.

Come here and relax, andI'll get you something to eat.

No, I

I don't feel like eating.

But you didn't have any dinner.That's not good, not to eat.

No, Clara please, I...

I finally got that passagethe way I wanted it.

Robert.

Why.

I had to die if my hands got tothe point where they wouldn't grip

All money the way the fingerswere out quicker than the brain.

Robert.

You must stop drivingyourself this way, it's wrong.

Wrong?

Yes.

I'm doing the best work of life.

I'm at the very peak ofwhatever creative power I have.

You're writing magnificent music,there's no question about that.

But don't try towrite it all at once.

Oh, my dear, you're a human being.

And you must rest and eatand live like a human being.

Do you know that you're becoming

almost a strangerto your own children?

And to you.

Oh, no.

No not me. Never.

But Robert, I amworried about you.

I think you're losing all senseof proportion about your work.

A talent has to be disciplined.

It has to be kept in it's properrelation the rest of your life.

Not put before homeor children or families.

Oh, first things first, my love.

But suppose a talentwill not be disciplined.

Suppose a man tries to leave.

Suppose he walks the piano,

refuses to pick up a pencil

but keeps onhearing music louder,

louder

and louder untilsometimes he give

his life to shutout the sound of it.

Oh, Robert.

My poor Robert.

What good wouldit be to try to rest?

What rest would there befor me with music b*ating,

pounding,drumming in my ear?

Robert, we will go away.

We'll go away upinto the mountain,

someplace wherethere isn't even a piano.

What you needis rest, I know it is.

Maybe when we, when Ifinish the symphony we'll try.

No Robert, not when you finish.Not when you finish Now, Robert.

I can't leave now.

Not now, when I'mdoing my best work.

But you can comeback to it later, Robert.

No, I can't leave it.

You should know that.You above everyone.

Is the symphony worthyour health, your life, perhaps?

The symphony is my life.

And Robert, you'relost if you believe that.

Then,

perhaps I am lost.

Robert,

don't workanymore tonight, please!

That's how I want tobegin the next symphony.

Robert, please, I beg of you! Don't--

I want you to stop interfering!

[door closing]

[piano playing]

No.

Robert.

Robert.

Rob-

Rob-

Clara, what is it?

Clara?

Robert.

I had the most terrifying dream.

Oh, you're still a childthat cries over dreams.

Oh, Robert.

I remember the firsttime you said that to me.

[crying]

What?

What were you dreaming?

I dreamed, I dreamedthat I was out in space.

And I kept calling to you, Robert.And I called so loud and you didn't

hear me. And then when you finallydid come and looked down at me,

you didn't know me Robert.

Robert, you didn'teven know me. [cries]

Clara.

Oh, please tell me againthat you'll never leave me.

Please, Robert, tellme you won't leave me.

We were so young andsentimental in those days.

Oh, Please Robert, Pleasetell me you won't leave me.

Stop it.

Let me tell you insteadthat you have been

all a man could everhope to find in a woman.

That in all my life I haveloved only one woman.

And I will love you forever.

What do you mean by that?

I want you to leave me, Clara.

Leave you?

Oh, Robert, what are you saying?

Please Robert?

Almost the end of my hour.

I stand alone now,on the brink of...

I don't know what.

No.

Certainly of a realm whereno one can follow me.

No.

No, Robert listen to me.

We'll go away someplace.I know there's an

answer to this. There isan answer somewhere.

There was an answer. You knewit all along. But it's too late now.

-No.-It's too late.

Robert!

Robert, it's not too late.

There's a reason for your dreams.

You must leave me.

Robert, no.

I'm a prisoner now of my own music.

I can shout at it,scream at it, run from it,

-but I cannot steal it. Oh,-Oh, Robert.

God. What I would givefor one moment of silence,

one moment of absolute silence.I am lost I am lost, Clara.

No, no. You're not lost.

-You are not...-I don't want you.

I want you to leave thishouse while you still love me.

-No.-I don't want you here, Clara.

I want you to leave whileyou still are married. Just go.

I Don't want you. I'mwarning you. Clara. Stop it.

[door opening]

[music]

I feel as though I hadbeen born in that room

I know that in the darknessof a certain night I d*ed there.

[door knocking]

Oh.

Clara, you must prepareyourself for a shock.

Robert?

He threw himself in the river.

Dead?

No, No he's not dead. But Clara

Robert.

Oh, Robert.

Oh, Robert.

My love.

Who are you?

I don't know you.

Please take Mr. Schumannin the bedroom there.

[gasp]

He's complete mental breakdown.

Oh.

I'm afraid he'd have to goto an institution for a while.

Oh.

Oh.

[music]

And now the room thathad been my bridal room

fell four strong wallsaround my grief.

[piano sound]

I played his musicfor him, played it

for myself, playedit for our children.

Music and memories were allwe had left of husband and father.

[music]

It was over two years before Iwas permitted to see him again.

[music]

Clara?

Yes.

Yes, my love.

Clara.

So beautiful.

So kind.

So wise.

Robert, I'm goingto take you home.

You're going to haveall of our love, and our...

Robert.

[crying] Oh.

And so one period of my lifeended. I had been young when I

first entered that room. Iwould never be that young again.

Nor would I everknow the same warmth,

the same happiness or love again.

Within those walls, a lovestory have had its beginning

and its ending.

But the music of RobertSchumann, would live forever.

Mr. Shakespeare hadsomething to say about this

and I believe it rings abell.

They are sick thatserve it with too much

as they thatstarve with nothing.

Well, Good night.

See you next week.

[music]