The Long Wait (novel) Zhang Baotong 2016.9.10

6. Marriage proceedings

In 1839, Clara was already a 20-year-old girl. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info This famous European beauty pianist will cause quite a stir wherever she goes. At this time, Schumann was already a well-known composer and music critic in the music industry, and served as the editor-in-chief of the new music magazine. Because Clara has grown up, her father, Vic, can no longer restrain and control her as much as he used to. So, Clara can openly and freely date and fall in love with Schumann.

But how could Professor Vic allow Schumann to take his precious daughter away from him? He regretted one of the things he had done in his life, which was to make Schumann his student. Yes, in those days, the study of music could be elegant, but it was far less expensive and prestigious than the study of law. Schumann's mother, on the other hand, was open-minded and listened to Professor Vic's advice, and all the mistakes began at this time. Professor Wick was the best and most authoritative piano teacher in Leipzig and Germany at that time, how could Schumann's mother not listen to his advice? Moreover, Professor Wick was so earnest for the sake of her son's future. In order to learn the piano better, Professor Vick invited Schumann to live in his home, treating him as if he were his own child. But he never thought that he was luring the wolf into the house.

Moreover, since the death of his father, Schumann's family has been very poor, and Schumann himself is just a poorer poor student who studied with him. How could he marry his precious daughter to a poor boy? So he was furious with Clara and said to her, "If you continue to associate with this poor boy, I will never have your daughter again, and I will annul your inheritance." Seeing his daughter's indifference, he said viciously, "If I see you with that poor boy again, I'll kill him with a pistol!"

Clara, of course, would not give in to her father, and she resolutely moved out of the house and lived in an apartment outside as a sign of a complete break with her father. After that, she wrote a long letter to her father: "My esteemed father, Mr. Vic: I am writing to you in order to make my attitude very clear and thorough. My love for Schumann is real love. I love him, not just passionately, or because of sentimental excitement. This is because I am convinced that he is the kindest man ever. No other man can love me with such a pure and sincere attitude and know me so deeply. If from my standpoint, I can love him with all my heart only if he belongs to me completely. And convinced, I know him better than any woman. In the letter, Clara even confessed to her father that she wanted to marry Schumann, hoping to get his consent. However, neither her letter nor her request received her father's understanding and support, as Professor Vic would never tolerate it.

At that time, daughters could not marry without their father's consent. But if the father refuses to agree, then the daughter's lover can appeal to the court. If the court thinks he has a good temperament and can support his wife, he will allow him to marry. The greater the resistance, the fiercer the flame of love. So, when Schumann and Clara found that they could not change Mr. Vic's stubbornness at all, Schumann had no choice but to appeal to the court. Here's what he wrote in his lawsuit:

Leipzig Supreme Court: We are Robert Schumann and Clara Vic. We have been truly in love with each other for a long time and want to be married. But this wish of ours has not been realized. We have no other way but to take such measures to remove obstacles and achieve our goals. Although this kind of doing ** brings us the deepest pain.

Clara Vic's father, Fred Wick, insisted on not agreeing to our marriage, despite our repeated wishes. We cannot explain the reasons for his refusal. We believe that we are not at fault, and that our current situation is sufficient to ensure that we will have a worry-free life in the future. We are not going to change the decisions that have been made after much deliberation in this matter.

We therefore bring proceedings to the High Court of Justice in the hope that our minimum requirements may be met, and that your majesty will enable Mr. Fred Wick to allow us to join. And, if necessary, it is hoped that the court can approve it in his place. Now only litigation can mediate our relationship.

We are awaiting with great anticipation the outcome of this trial. As in so many other cases, only time can heal painful barriers.

Leipzig, September 1839

Robert Schumann

Clara Vic

The case caused a sensation throughout Europe at the time. Although Schumann can only be regarded as a small name, Clara is a famous pianist on a par with Liszt. Her name is almost a household name in the European music scene. Vic did not expect Schumann to sue him before the High Court, because he ignored the fact that his student had studied law in the first place. This left Vic almost unable to step down. He deliberately failed to attend court summons and obstructed the trial under various pretexts and reasons.

As a result, the trial began on December 18, 1839, after a four-month delay. In court, Vic coldly and harshly denigrated Schumann. He also ignores the fact that Schumann had studied law, telling the court that Schumann was an alcoholic and could not take care of his daughter Clara. However, he also forgot that Schumann was the editor-in-chief of the New Music Magazine. He has sung the praises of many musicians and made many musicians stand out. These musicians were eager to reciprocate, so Schumann easily recruited some of his friends, including Leipzig's most famous musician, Mendelssohn, to appear in court, and everyone praised Schumann for his hard work and good deeds, and denied that Schumann was an alcoholic. Vic then says that Schumann is a playboy. At this time, Schumann presented some of his works and the "New Music Magazine" he founded to the court, allowing the court to make its own judgment. Naturally, the court would not consider a man with so many musical works and the founder and editor-in-chief of New Music Magazine to be a playboy. Thus, Schumann succeeded in refuting Vic's various slanders.

Litigation is actually a lose-lose situation. Regardless of the outcome, both sides are losers. In particular, the longer a lawsuit such as a lawsuit is fought, the greater the consumption of both parties and the heavier the loss. And the case of Schumann and Vic has made the family an enemy, and the whole of Europe is paying attention to them. For this, Vic lost face and lost his beloved daughter, but Schumann was also tortured physically and mentally because of it. Clara suffers a double torment between her father and her lover. The lawsuit dragged on because of its influence and importance, and after 11 long and arduous months of litigation, in August 1840 the court finally ruled that Schumann and Clara were allowed to marry, and Professor Vic lost. On September 13 of the same year, on Clara's 21st birthday, Schumann and Clara were married. This pair of lovers who have gone through ups and downs will eventually become married.