Schumann’s overture to his tragic opera Genoveva sets the mood and foreshadows the story’s path from the brooding intensity of C minor to the ecstatic joy of C major, duplicating his hero Beethoven’s progression in the famed Fifth Symphony. The monumental First Piano Concerto occupied Brahms for at least five years. After beginning a two-piano sonata in 1854, he soon realised that the musical material required orchestral treatment and recast the opening as the first movement. Later adding the jaunty finale, followed by the radiant slow movement, adjustments were made up to and even beyond the first performances in 1859.

CLICK HERE to view the livestream for this concert

The concert will be available to view on demand for 30 days after the orginal performance until 7.30pm (GMT) on Friday 26 March 2021.
The concert livestream will be accessible behind a paywall as an embedded Vimeo video stream. It is best to watch through an up-to-date browser (we recommend Google Chrome on a PC and Safari on an Apple device). You can then connect to your TV or HIFI via a cable connection. An Amazon Firestick is also compatible using the Amazon Silk browser direct on a TV as well as most default browsers on SMART TVs.

Works and composers

Schumann Genoveva Overture
Brahms Piano Concerto No.1

Supported by

Sir Neville & Lady Simms