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.