ABSTRACT. The several editions of Schumann’s diaries refer us to at least two drinking styles in his university years, both of them with a flavour of “wine, women and song” fraternities. He plunged headlong into all this for a start, finding it elevating and then considering it self-medicating. He drank to excess for a while but he stopped short, unable to go further to the bitter end because he could not develop a tolerance and mostly because he was afraid of madness.

Keywords: Robert Schumann; drinking style; low tolerance; wine, women and song; madness; musical creativity

How to cite: Diaconu, I. F. (2024). “Robert Schumann’s Drinking Styles. A Perspective onto the ‘Wine, Women and Song’ Years,” Romanian Journal of Artistic Creativity 12(1): 49–60. doi: 10.22381/RJAC12120243

Received 4 February 2024 • Received in revised form 12 February 2024
Accepted 18 February 2024 • Available online 31 March 2024