It was her father’s young piano student, Robert Schumann, that turned Clara Wieck’s life upside down, his presence in their household bringing love and turmoil in almost equal quantities. As a child prodigy Clara had made her first public appearance aged nine, and three years later was touring as a major concert artist, while at the same time continuing her piano, singing, violin and composition studies. As his piano student her father had allowed Schumann, nine years older than his daughter, to live with the Wiecks. The two youngsters fell in love and after a bitter legal battle, in which Friedrich Wieck vehemently opposed the marriage to his teenage daughter, the law intervened to allow the marriage. Though Robert wished to be seen to encourage her continued concert and composing career, in reality it was a position made almost impossible by having 8 children in 14 years. Yet she managed to write a few piano pieces and the songs that are contained on this disc. They show a very gifted person who in this genre could have rivalled her husband. Strangely after his death in 1856 she wrote no more, but returned to the concert stage, touring extensively almost until her death in 1896. The major works came in two groups gathered as Six Lieder opus 13 and opus 23, though her most famous pieces were the four to Ruckert poems, three of which Robert published with his own to form the Twelve Ruckert Songs. Thirteen unrelated songs complete the disc, the texts speaking of love and the sadness that love can often engender, each one showing Clara’s ready gift of creating attractive melody. Certainly Geheimes Flustern (Soft whispers) from 1854 and to words by Hermann Rollett, is one of the most gorgeous songs of that era. Always kind to the voice in the range and lyric flow, Clara’s piano background is evident in the beautifully crafted accompaniments. I came to know many of them some years ago in a mixed recital disc from Barbara Bonney and Vladimir Ashkenazy that is still unsurpassed. They are here performed by the German soprano, Dorothea Craxton, best known as the founder of the Immortal-Bach-Ensemble and a champion of music by women composers. She is partnered by Hedayet Djeddikar playing Clara Schumann’s magnificent fortepiano.