Laurels & Lost Opportunities  Laurels & Lost Opportunities
Akrita Reyar  The awful thing about the greatest talents born is
usually the terrible tragedy attached to them. Robert Schumann,
one of the most gifted composers of all time, is no
exception.Throughout his life, he was never overwhelmingly
feted. His compositions today considered as one of most
significant of the Romantic era, were only received with
lukewarm fervour in his age. It is only 20th Century onwards,
did interest really rekindle in his works and his compositions
got their due recognition.  This year, as a part of his
bicentenary celebrations, European Broadcasting Union is
observing the Schumann Day with performances, concerts and
special programmes across the continent.  Born on June 08, 1810
in Zwickau, Saxony in Germany, Robert was a child prodigy who
started composing music at the age of seven. The literary
culture at his home helped him develop an early love for poetry
and literature. His father, who was a publisher and a book
seller,