Brahms and Joachim will offer to Schumann its last musical joy. Both organize in January 1854 a Schumann festival in Hanover. It will be a complete triumph which will make forget for one moment, lugubrious Düsseldorf.
Last once, the creative inspiration reappears. After its four symphonies and its Faust, it composes an allegro of concert for piano, and the concerto for violin dedicated to Joachim.
But its last notes it is with the piano that Schumann entrusts them. With the threshold of the madness, it composes the “Songs of the Paddle”, its upsetting musical will.
In February 1854, Schumann is invaded by new mental health disorders.
It tests evil with speaking and has auditive hallucinations. He hears the note “A”.
On February 10 this note becomes animated and is made music;
“a music so splendid that one in heard the similar one on ground forever” says it.
It seems that Schumann enters gradually this world of suffering. He hardly fights and tries withdrawn from the insanity which little by little gains it, by work.
Admittedly it does not compose. It cannot it, but it corrects its concerto for violoncello.
Clara remains somewhat in withdrawal. She intends it to digress in the night of February 17. They are the angels initially, then the devils which turn around him. On February 21 the crisis seems to calm down, Schumann can be put at the piano, to write letters and sudden it carries out and becomes aware of its state.
It became insane. The terror of all its life.
Then it suddenly decides to go in a lunatic asylum. Who knows what it will be able, the next night. It is made prepare its business, lays out near him of the music paper, the money, the feathers, etc…
But on February 27, it is thrown in the Rhine. Boatmen save it and bring back it at his place. Consequently it is treated as demented person. Clara which awaits its eighth child is distant.
On March 4, 1854, it is taken along the morning in a hackney carriage. Doctor Hassenclever and the male nurse go up with him. It is not locked up.
Brahms and Joachim can visit it and hold Clara informed of its health condition.
At the beginning of its internment it has some hope of cure, but quickly it forgets little by little all that it had left behind him. During two years, its state little by little will worsen until Schumann is nothing any more but the shade of him even. It decides then, not to receive visits more and ceases little by little being nourished.
Doctor Franz Richarz
On July 23, Doctor Richarz, who follows in-patient to the asylum of Endenich, addresses to Clara the following telegram:
“If you want to find your husband still alive, come in all haste.”
Clara runs, Robert recognizes it and smiles to him. In an immense effort it serves it in its arms. It dies out on July 29, 1856 at 4 p.m.
It will leave six children to Clara.