The year was 1853, and music’s most famous love affair had suffered hard times. Robert Schumann lived in the shadow of his wife’s fame
for thirteen years, and would soon begin a three-year slide into
insanity and death. Clara at 34, though one of Europe’s greatest pianists, had sacrificed much to be a mother and wife. An ambitious but insecure young composer, 20-year-old Johannes Brahms, knocked on their door and was welcomed into their home, where a deep musical and spiritual connection among the three blossomed. When the tragedy of Robert’s death struck, the bonds of love between Johannes and Clara remained
for decades, fueling the fires of creativity in both of them. Clara
advanced Robert’s music for the ages; and Brahms rose into the
pantheon of masters.
