From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6. Written in a clear and lively style, Her Piano Sang gives young readers insight into a female musician and composer of the romantic period. Starting with nine-year-old Clara's first concert as a professional pianist, Allman portrays an extremely talented, creative woman whose life was not easy. Clara Schumann had an overbearing, demanding taskmaster of a father and her husband, Robert Schumann, was a musical genius who suffered from mental illness, yet she was still able to perform, compose, and raise a family. More has been written about Robert, and it is refreshing to read about the Schumanns from Clara's perspective. Full-page black-and-white illustrations appear throughout. A worthwhile purchase.?Mollie Bynum, formerly at Chester Valley Elementary School, Anchorage, AK
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
Gr. 4^-7. Clara Schumann has always played the supporting role in biographies of her famous composer husband, but here she gets a book of her own. It's a fascinating story of a woman who broke new ground as a performer and composer. The writing is sometimes dull, and her character is too sensitive and saintly to be true, but readers will be caught by the story of the child artist driven by her domineering father to become a gifted child pianist, and by the account of her conflict with that father, who tried to stop her marriage to the composer she loved. The discussion of her music is uninspiring, but her professional life gets lots of attention, including her relationship with other Romantic composers of her time. Art and music lovers will use the bibliography to read more about this artist.
Hazel Rochman
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
