“The English have adopted Mendelssohn, but in Germany an equal rank is accorded to Schumann. It may arise from affection for Mendelssohn that the English are inclined to deny Schumann’s claims, fearing that the recognition of them may interfere with the justly deserved reputation of their favourite; but, be this as it may, a comparison should not be instituted between them. Schumann, apart from his not having the natural gifts of Mendelssohn, was a solitary student, unable by the use of his talents or his manners to make himself popular. Mendelssohn, endowed with every distinction nature and a refined education could bestow, happily balanced the requirements of the public with the dignity of the true artist, without yielding to vulgar tastes. If he did not rely on the _vox populi_ he admitted the truth existing in that voice. Schumann, if he did not exactly treat popular opinion with contempt, would not consult it. He never had the means of forming for himself a clear idea of what was due to the public, not being a public player, as Mozart, Beethoven, Weber, Mendelssohn, and Chopin all were. It is before the public an artist learns to play, and it is before the public a composer feels, with even painful acuteness, any imperfections or tediousness in his works. That which sounds right and interesting in a small study, with a sympathising friend to turn over the leaves, may sound dreary, uninteresting, and even tiresome, to an indifferent audience. We have here a sufficient reason why Schumann would not have attained a widespread popularity like that of his admired friend Mendelssohn. But surely in these days, when there are so many weak productions, we are not justified in disregarding the works of an intelligent and conscientious master; a man who had the purest and noblest aspirations, and who was ever the first to acknowledge, with true sympathy and every sign of delight, the merits of others.”[24] [Footnote 24: _Analytical Programme_ (Ernst Pauer).] Robert Schumann (1810-56) was a man of high intellectual capacity and culture, and this it is which chiefly distinguishes both the man and his compositions; for it will hardly be claimed for him that he was by birthright such an absolute musician as, say, Mozart or Mendelssohn. [Sidenote: =Schumann as Absolute Musician=]