ACTIVITIES
LIFE Victoria: Joseph Breinl & Samuel Hasselhorn & Waltraud Meier
Friday, 14 November de 2025 21:00h
Joseph Breinl, piano
Samuel Hasselhorn, baritone
Waltraud Meier, narrator
Inner Struggle in Three Voices
The relationship between the young Johannes Brahms and the Schumann couple began in 1853 in Düsseldorf, when the former, aged twenty, played one of Robert’s piano sonatas and greatly impressed the pair. He thus became Robert’s favoured pupil, quickly entering their domestic life. Robert’s fragile mental health led to a suicide attempt in 1854, when he threw himself into the Rhine, resulting in his admission to the Endenich sanatorium. Brahms moved to live near Clara and visited Robert until his death in 1856. This idealised love, which we will never know if it was ever fully lived or consummated, endured until 1896 when Clara died — and despite their fourteen-year age difference, Johannes followed her a year later. This love triangle between three of the greatest musical geniuses of the nineteenth century contains so many mysteries and inner struggles that it has fascinated musicians and scholars ever since. The great Waltraud Meier will give voice to Robert, Clara, and Johannes, while Samuel Hasselhorn and pianist Joseph Breinl, both of whom have previously appeared at LIFE Victoria, will respond through their music.
Tickets
