Robert Schumann (June 8, 1810 - July 29, 1856) was a German composer and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. He left the study of law, intending to pursue a career as a virtuoso pianist, but a hand injury ended this dream. He then focused his musical energies on composing. His published compositions were written exclusively for the piano until 1840; he later composed works for piano and orchestra; many Lieder (songs for voice and piano); four symphonies; an opera; and other orchestral, choral, and chamber works. Schumann suffered from a lifelong mental disorder, first manifesting itself in 1833 as a severe melancholic depressive episode, which recurred several times alternating with phases of 'exaltation' and increasingly also delusional ideas of being poisoned or threatened with metallic items. After a suicide attempt in 1854, Schumann was admitted to a mental asylum, at his own request. Diagnosed with "psychotic melancholia", he died two years later in 1856, at the age of 46, without having recovered from his mental illness. Detroit Publishing Company, circa 1915-25.