A Schumann Piece (Un morceau de Schumann)

Before the advent of recording technology, people had to make their own music for the pleasure of listening. The musicians depicted here are Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Edwards, friends and important patrons of the artist Henri Fantin-Latour; they lived in the London suburb of Sunbury. For Fantin, who loved music but played no instrument, visits to the Edwardses—like the one documented here, in October 1864—were particularly special. His letters reveal not only his boundless gratitude for their hospitality but also his assiduous efforts to obtain piano scores for Mrs. Edwards. Fantin and the Edwardses especially enjoyed works by Schumann, Beethoven, and Wagner.