Three’s a crowd – unless you’re Felix Mendelssohn, Robert and Clara Schumann.

Robert raved about Mendelssohn, waxing lyrically of the ‘unforgettable man’ in his letters. Unforgettable as he may have been, the sentiment wasn’t mutual; Mendelssohn didn’t mention Robert once when he put pen to paper. Oops.

Personal slights aside, Mendelssohn – already at the top of his game with works including his ‘Italian’ Symphony – was eager to support the struggling Robert and favoured Clara as a performer. Mendelssohn even conducted an early version of Schumann’s Piano Concerto – written for Clara – before it flourished into the version you’ll hear in this concert.

In between being her husband’s number one fan, Clara was forging her own successful career as a pianist and composer. While she didn’t rate her own compositions highly, the popularity of her Three Romances speaks volumes about her talent.