Michael Parloff discusses the relationship between Johannes Brahms and Robert and Clara Schumann and the effects that this relationship had on Brahms's music.
Part 1 (ca. 62’) of the 2-part talk was recorded on October 3, 2016, onboard Le Boréal, a French cruise ship operated by Compagnie du Ponant.
This talk focuses on the period from 1853 to 1856, the early years of Brahms’s relationship with Robert and Clara Schumann. Part 1 includes musical excerpts and discussions of the following pieces:
Brahms: Piano Sonata in C major, op. 1 - 13:45
Brahms, Schumann, & Dietrich's collaborative “F-A-E Sonata” for violin and piano - 20:44
Robert Schumann: ABEGG Variations, op. 1 - 22:49
Robert Schumann: Symphony No. 4 in D minor, op. 120 - 24:25
Robert Schumann: Bunte Blätter, Op. 99, Albumblatt No. 1 - 42:22
Clara Schumann: Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 20 - 44:07
Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 9 - 46:11
Clara Schumann: Romance in B minor, op. posthumous - 58:37
Part 2 of this 2-part lecture can also be viewed on YouTube at https://youtu.be/6BW3dgsK0sk . It focuses on the period from 1856 to 1897, the end of Brahms’s and Clara Schumann’s lives.