J. A. Fuller Maitland (1856-1936), whose Schumann in the Novello 'Great Musicians' series is also reissued in this series, had a wide-ranging interest in music. He was music critic of The Times for 22 years, was the editor of the second edition of Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, prepared an edition of the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, and also worked on Purcell and on folk song. This book, published in 1894, surveys the then current state of German music, with essays on Brahms, Bruch, Goldmark and Rheinberger. Bruckner is mentioned as a 'Little Master', and Richard Strauss appears in the final chapter, entitled 'New Paths (?)' but the surprise for present-day readers is that the composer fulsomely claimed by Fuller Maitland as the natural successor to Wagner, Cyrill Kistler, is now almost completely unknown.

Schumann

by John Alexander Fuller Maitland

Published 29 August 2010
J. A. Fuller Maitland (1856-1936), whose Masters of German Music is also reissued in this series, was music critic of The Times for 22 years, was the editor of the second edition of Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, prepared an edition of the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, and also worked on Purcell and on folk song. This biography of Schumann, in the 'Great Musicians' series edited by Francis Hueffer, was published in 1884, 28 years after its subject's death. It is dedicated to Schumann's widow, Clara, who the author consulted, along with Joachim and others; but he also acknowledges that those hoping for an exhaustive life of Schumann would be disappointed: 'The time for writing such a life is not yet come.' Nevertheless, this book contains a survey of Schumann's compositions as well as his critical writings and a range of contemporary critical responses to his work.