PROGRAM

Robert SCHUMANN
     String Quartet No. 3 in A major

Johannes BRAHMS
     Piano Quintet in F minor op. 34

This is the story of two men, a mentor, a pupil, friends whose love for the same woman inspired some of music’s greatest creations. Robert Schumann’s 3rd string quartet is a joyful testament to his love for his wife, Clara. Brahms’ piano quintet, on the other hand, overwhelms us with it’s fiery desperation, a longing and sorrow for the same woman, a love that would never come to fruition. 

Brahms’ piano quintet began not as a piano quintet at all, but in fact as a string quintet with two cellos. The composition would evolve into a duo for two pianos, before settling finally in its most notable configuration, a quintet for piano and strings.