Today I’m so excited to share the covers of Madame Composer: The Virtuosic Genius of Clara Schumann, my new biography of this giant of German Romanticism. Yes, I said covers, plural, because there’s two: one for the US / Canada release, and one for the UK release. I love them both. It’s incredibly surreal to finally be at this moment where I can share things publicly. And I can’t wait to know what you think!
The process of cover making, decisions from the author side, plus discussions with the artist, is fascinating. Of the picture options I presented for Clara Schumann, my editor at Pegasus Books, Jessica Chase said she preferred the classic photo, used by Nancy B. Reich on her biography cover, for how “imposing” Clara looks.
The photo itself was taken by the royal photographer to the Bavarian Court in Munich, Franz Seraph Hanfstaengl, in 1857. Franz took photos of many famous people including Otto von Bismarck, Empress Sisi, Richard Wagner, Franz Liszt, and, of course, Clara Schumann. The photo was taken presumably in November or December of that year; her two Munich concerts were on November 14 and Christmas Day.
This was a mere 16 months after her husband’s death. Her “imposing” expression is one of a woman who knows her worth and power, one who suffers no fools. The sadness in her blue eyes was ever-present, even in childhood, but in the set of her shoulders and chin, there’s a determination. At age thirty-eight, Clara Schumann was in high demand as a performer, at the height of her canon-making international touring career, even as she inwardly suffered with grief.
As imposing as she appears, we know from Johannes Brahms’s surviving letters that, when this photo was taken, Clara was struggling with debilitating depression, even suicidality, wondering if life had anything more in store for her. The photo was taken during her worst years of suffering, with the livelihoods of seven children sitting on her shoulders, yet it showcases the determination that made her so formidable.
My second favorite feature of the photo is of course her hands, which were famously enormous: long fingers, robust palms. True piano hands.
My least favorite part of the photo is the photoshop. Her waist was “touched up”, the 19th-century version of photo editing, to make her appear skinnier than she was. This was incredibly common, as much as filters are today, but I dislike how it draws the eye to her figure, away from her face and her hands. So it was rather important to me that the book cover somehow draw attention away from her waist, a false depiction of her in any case.
And now for the cover…
I love the artistic colorized photo. I find it brings Clara to life even more.
And now’s the rrrreally exciting part! Pre-order links….
I’m making arrangements with my local independent bookstore for you to pre-order signed copies from me! But in the mean time, if you prefer to use your usual online retailers, click the button…
It’ll be here September 29th!
So, that’s the North American cover. Now for the UK cover from History Press…
I love the choice my editor at History Press, Laura Perehinec, made with this cover, to zoom in on Clara’s face. It reminds me of most biography covers of men, in a good way.
The books have not been printed yet. We’re still finalizing the cover jackets and the indexes before it heads to the printers in June. The book will be here September 29. Keep an eye on my social medias and substack for lots of forthcoming events and fun promotion this summer. (I had an Instagram reel go wild this week. That was fun!)
The Clara Schumann Channel 
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