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Beloved
Clara |
The story of the intense relationships between Robert
Schumann, his wife Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms
has always fascinated music lovers. This programme
of music and readings brings their history to life.
It chronicles the sometimes troubled marriage of
Clara and Robert, the arrival in their household
of the dynamic, 21-year-old Brahms, Robert’s
decline into mental illness and the deepening relationship
between Clara and Brahms, the exact nature of which
has never been established. Music by all three is
performed by the award-winning pianist Lucy Parham,
interspersed with extracts from their letters and
diaries, which are read by two celebrated actors.
Beloved Clara is scripted from the wealth of existing
correspondence between Brahms and the Schumanns.
Compiled by Jessica Duchen and Lucy Parham, its creation
was inspired by Lucy Parham’s lifelong passion
for Schumann’s music and it has evolved to
its present state through added contributions from
the actors involved.
Beloved Clara was premiered at the Wigmore Hall Masters
Series in 2002. It has since been performed throughout
the country in many festivals, concert halls and
theatres. Highlights have included the Chichester,
Harrogate and Salisbury Theatres, BAFTA, Oxford,
Rye and Chelsea Festivals and at Cadogan Hall in
the 2006 Schumann Festival. Actors who have appeared
with Lucy Parham include Joanna David, Eleanor Bron,
Stanley Townsend, Rosalind Ayres, Gabrielle Drake,
Robert Glenister, Malcolm Sinclair, Edward Fox, Martin
Jarvis, Christopher Cazenove, Timothy West and Charles
Dance. Future performers for both Beloved Clara and
Odyssey of Love include Henry Goodman, Harriet Walter
and Geraldine James.
Beloved Clara has been widely featured in the Independent,
the Times, the Guardian, BBC Radio 4 (Woman’s
Hour), BBC World Service, Classic FM, BBC Music Magazine,
BBC Radio 3 (In Tune) and Pianist Magazine.
The international premiere of Beloved Clara took
place at the Bergen International Festival in June
2007. Future performances include the Cadogan Hall
Celebrity Recital Series in 2008, a gala concert
at the Harrogate Royal Hall and a return to the Wigmore
Hall in February 2009 for the Jacqueline du Pré Memorial
Concert.
The CD of Beloved Clara, featuring actors Martin
Jarvis and Joanna David, has been recently released
to critical acclaim by Sanctuary/ASV
The Cast:
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