"The seven studies of [Robert Schumann] and his music cover the composer's inspirations, his sources, and his relations with numerous interesting people... [a] well-rounded and interesting picture of the composer and his times."--Library Journal "This volume ... edited by the American scholar Larry R. Todd, contains a substantial essay on the composer's cultural background, ... a comparably comprehensive piece ... linking sociological to psychological motives, ... and a fascinating account by the editor of Schumann's use of quotation and self-quotation... Parts 2 and 3 of the book reprint letters, memoirs and critical commentaries by Schumann's contemporaries and successors."--Times Literary Supplement "Rich in new ideas."--Choice