There is something quintessentially Romantic about the story of Johannes Brahms, and Robert and Clara Schumann, who mentored the young Brahms and became his close friends — particularly Clara.
That’s Romantic with a capital R — the revolutionary artistic movement of the 19th century that put the human imagination and emotions in the centre of life, and emphasized passion and nature as motivating forces.
Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor is one of the great musical accomplishments of the Romantic movement.
San Francisco-based pianist Amy Zanrosso –originally from Castlegar – joins the Symphony of the Kootenays, under the direction of Jeff Faragher, to perform the work on April 27 at 2:00 p.m. at the Capitol Theatre.
This concerto is linked closely with Clara Schumann (1819-1896) one of the great concert pianists of the Romantic era. Her husband, the composer Robert Schumann (1810-1856), befriended the young Brahms (1833-1897), and brought him into their household.
One of history’s great stories of joy, art and music, it is also riven through with tragedy. Robert Schumann went mad, and after a suicide attempt was committed to an asylum, where he died. Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms remained close friends — but for Brahms, it was also a story of unrequited love for Clara.
Brahms, famously, and Romantically (with a big R), gave up all chance for romantic happiness (with a small R) to concentrate on his music and composing career. That emotion, from 175 years ago, is still alive in Brahms music. Especially in terms of his love for Clara, says Amy Zanrosso, who has been keeping company with them, telling their story, making them live again.
“You can’t play Brahms without knowing about that,” Zanrosso said. “And seeing and hearing and feeling what he puts into his music that either describes her or connects him to her — it was just written for her. It puts you into the middle of that triangle.”
“It’s different when you play Schumann — I don’t get that same sort of reverence for Clara,” Zanrosso said. “Even though it’s there, even though he wrote her into his music. With Brahms, it’s so laid bare.
“When you read their letters, how he supported her through Schumann’s illness and death — you can’t write music for a woman like that and not absolutely adore her.
“Especially the second movement, the Adagio, is essentially a character picture of her.”
As Brahms was composing the slow second movement in 1857, he wrote to Clara that he was “painting a tender portrait of you, which is to be the Adagio.”
Brahms wrote his concerto in the aftermath of Robert’s suicide, grieving for his friend, in love with Clara. The result — years in the completion — is a monumental musical achievement, unprecedented in its length, as well as the interplay between the piano — the soloist — and the orchestra.
“I remember thinking, when the piano comes in, after this long orchestral introduction, that it was one of the most beautiful and haunting melodies I’d ever heard at the time,” Zanrosso said. “For a piano concerto, especially after the intensity of the orchestral opening, to have the piano come and, and be this soothing feeling that carries the piece through the whole first movement.”
“The great thing about this concerto — one of the great things — is that the orchestra part is some ways just as hard as the piano part. It’s really involved. We are having conversations from beginning to end. Beethoven and Mozart do that as well, but their conversations are more the piano is a solo instrument, with orchestra accompaniment.
“In the Brahms, it’s honestly, big ensemble chamber music. It’s a constant back and forth from beginning to end – the piano part has conversations with all the different sections of the orchestra, the strings, the horns, woodwinds, even the timpani. I’m the soloist but I’m also a part of the ensemble, we can’t exist without each other.”
Zanrosso currently resides in the San Francisco area. One of the renowned pianists of the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia, she performs frequently with the Symphony of the Kootenays, known for interpreting the concertos of Beethoven. The Brahms concerto is something else entirely.
The sprawling, symphony-length concerto — almost 50 minutes long — is written in the traditional three movements. But the first movement, with an epic orchestral introduction, is divided into five sections, and is unprecedented in its interplay between piano soloist and orchestra. The second movement, the Adagio, switches to a gentler theme in the major key, while the third movement — the Rondo — feels like an homage to Beethoven.
It’s considered the peak of the mid-Romantic period, using forms and conventions established over the previous quarter century, while hinting at the revolutionary new musical forms to come. And along with the interplay between orchestra and piano, great musical dexterity is required from the soloist.
“I can honestly say it’s one of the hardest pieces I’ve ever played,” Zanrosso said. “It’s written for Brahms' hands — he really like octaves, these huge leaps. It’s been challenging, but really rewarding. It’s made me a better musician.
“I never thought I’d ever get to perform it. But I have, and I will again. It means a lot to me.
“A lot of the pieces I get to play now are ones that really touched me in my late teens and early 20s. It’s really indescribable what they mean to me. They have so much depth — I can’t imagine myself without them. The Brahms is one of them.”
