Woldemar Bargiel (1828-1897) was Clara Wieck's half-brother and, hence, Robert Schumann's brother-in-law. This study on the life and work of the Romantic composer - today unknown yet one of the best young talents of his time and acquainted with eminent musicians - describes an eventful musical career and an equally extraordinary and exciting yet seldom-heard music.Bargiel, a melancholic person, who was often hot-tempered and offhand to his colleagues or withdrawn, was in his personal relations extremely endearing and responsible, and to many was an admirable idealist. In 1862 Brahms, on the other hand, went so far as to declare him mad. The attention of the music world was drawn to Bargiel through his string octet and a mention in Schumann's famous article, "Neue Bahnen". In stylistic terms, he was first associated with Schumann on account of his family ties, and was often unjustifiably declared an epigone. As two thirds of Bargiel's works were composed between 1848 and 1864, he can be defined as a typical exponent of the mid-century - a mediator between two epochs. His pluralistic style can, hence, be interpreted not as ecclecticism, but rather as a multifaceted juxtaposition of musical styles in a transitional phase in music history.>
