Skip to Main Content

Join the musicians of the Saint Rose Camerata at 7:30 p.m. on September 14 for a special celebration of the life and music of Clara Schumann, one of the most talented pianist-composers of the 19th century.

Saint Rose CamerataNo other musical couple exemplifies the excitement and drama of the Romantic era like Clara and husband Robert Schumann. No other couple did as much to influence and shape the music of the time. This carefully selected program showcases some of Clara’s most famous chamber works, as well as a piece written by Robert as a Christmas gift to Clara.

Hailed at an early age as a piano prodigy, Clara Wieck so impressed Robert Schumann on their first meeting that he decided to stop studying law and begin studying music. Clara was nine years old, and Robert was 18. She began touring Europe as a pianist and gave her first solo concert at age 11. When she was 18, her playing was praised by such great pianists as Chopin and Liszt.

Marrying after Clara’s 21st birthday, the couple kept a joint musical diary, and together had eight children. They became good friends to virtuoso violinist Joseph Joachim and then-unknown composer Johannes Brahms, who proved a steady support to Clara when Robert was institutionalized in 1854 (at his own request) until his death in 1856.

Spanning from 1831 until 1895, Clara’s body of work includes pieces for piano, voice, orchestra, and chamber ensembles. For this program, the Camerata chose Scherzo No. 2 in C minor, Op. 14 (1845), a selection of songs from Op. 12, 13, and 23 (1841-1855), and the Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 17 (1946) by Clara Schumann, and Three Romances for oboe and piano, Op. 94 (1849) by Robert Schumann.

Artists include Elizabeth Cohen, soprano; Sherwood Wise, oboe; Jamecyn Morey, violin; David Bebe, cello; Josiah Stocker, piano; and Michael Lister, piano.

EVENT DETAILS
What: Saint Rose Camerata
When: 7:30 p.m., September 14
Where: Massry Center for the Arts, The College of Saint Rose, 1002 Madison Avenue, Albany
Cost: Free and open to the public

NEWS BRIEF VERSION
The Saint Rose Camerata kicks off its musical season by celebrating the 200th birthday of Clara Schumann, one of the most influential and talented composer-pianists of the Romantic era. Comprising works by Clara and husband Robert Schumann, the concert is at 7:30 p.m. on September 14 at the Massry Center for the Arts, and is open and free to the public.