Robert Schumann was esteemed in the 19th century as a composer, a musical critic, and a commentator. Today, however, his stature has been undercut. Critics cite his severe personal conflicts as essential to his art, and even use them to caricature Romanticism as the worship of dreams and fatalism. This course, which presumes no musical background, selectively examines Schumann's compositions and writings to identify the essence of his greatness and to offer a proper assessment of one of the giants of the Romantic period. The classes feature taped musical selections and live demonstrations at the piano.