Clara Schumann: A Life in Music
When Clara Schumann sat down at a piano, audiences listened to one of the most respected musicians of the 1800s. She was a gifted pianist, a composer, and a teacher. Her career lasted for decades and took her to concert halls across Europe.
Clara was born on September 13, 1819, in Leipzig, a city in what is now Germany. Her birth name was Clara Wieck. Her father, Friedrich Wieck, taught piano, and her mother, Marianne, was a singer and pianist. Clara studied piano with her father from an early age. Her training also included learning about composition, the art of creating music.
Clara began performing in public as a child. By her teenage years, she was traveling to give concerts in other cities. Travel in the 1800s was often slow and tiring, but touring helped her reach audiences far from home. Listeners admired not only her skill at the keyboard but also the care and feeling she brought to the music.
- respected:
- admired for abilities or achievements
- touring:
- traveling to perform in different places
- opposed:
- was against something
- obstacles:
- difficulties that make progress harder
- responsibilities:
- duties that someone needs to take care of
- rehearsal:
- a practice session for a performance
One passage, many ways to practice
Reading-skill questions, word work and writing prompts — all built from this text.
Main Idea
Identify the central idea and explain how important details develop it.
Context Clues
Use clues in the passage to work out what words mean. A separate printable Vocabulary worksheet is also available.
Summarize
Select, organize, and restate the most important information without adding opinion.
Purpose
Analyze what the author aims to do and how choices serve audience and purpose.
Structure
Analyze how sections and organizational choices build the text's ideas or effects.
Vocabulary
Practice words from the passage with a printable worksheet.
Writing Prompts
Use the passage as a springboard for short written responses, from personal reflection to evidence-based arguments.
Fix the Sentence
Practice editing sentences drawn from this passage with a printable worksheet.
Ready to use this passage in class?
Start free with the Mixed worksheet and 3 PDF downloads each week. Focused skill sets depend on plan.
Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What is the main idea of Clara Schumann's biography? Give two details that support it.
- 2How did Clara's early training prepare her for her career?
You Might Also Like
About this biography passage for Upper Elementary
“Clara Schumann: A Life in Music” is a biography reading passage about Music and biography, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 3 minutes to read (461 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.