Rhenish Romance: Brahms and the Schumanns

The concert program focuses on the chamber works of three prominent figures of 19th-century German musical culture: Robert Schumann, Clara Schumann, and Johannes Brahms. They were bound together not only by the aesthetics of Romanticism but also by a personal history filled with admiration, trials, and inner tension.

In 1853, in Düsseldorf—where Robert was working at the time—the Schumann family met the twenty-year-old Johannes Brahms. This meeting proved to be fateful: deeply moved by the young composer's talent, Robert Schumann published a famous article proclaiming Brahms a new genius and the heir to the Beethoven tradition. This public endorsement essentially paved the way for Brahms into the world of great music.

However, this period was overshadowed by tragic events. For many years, Robert had suffered from severe mental disorders, and in 1854, following a suicide attempt, he was hospitalized. During this difficult time, Brahms took on much of the responsibility for the Schumann family—supporting Clara, assisting with financial and organizational matters, and visiting Robert in the hospital, as doctors had forbidden Clara from doing so.