Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Riccardo Minasi

There has been much speculation about Johannes Brahms' connection to Robert Schumann’s wife, Clara. One thing is certain: in 1853, on the recommendation of his friend, the violinist Joseph Joachim, the young composer spent a month with the Schumanns in Düsseldorf. Robert was enthusiastic about Brahms’s compositions, while Brahms, in turn, admired his elder colleague and stood by Clara as Robert’s mood continued to darken. Their correspondence reveals a close and complicated friendship.This programme, however, brings the two men together: Following Brahms’ “Academic”, Spanish cello soloist Pabl