On October 15, the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra will present one of the most unusual programs of the season in the “Bulgaria“ Hall. Under the baton of Naiden Todorov and with soloist Onute Grazhinite, the audience will hear in one evening the two piano concertos of Robert and Clara Schumann – a rare program that tells one of the most exciting love stories in the history of classical music.
Few composer couples have left such a deep mark on European culture. Robert and Clara Schumann did not just share their lives – they were each other's first critics, inspirers and greatest supporters. When Robert began work on his Piano Concerto, it was Clara who encouraged him to develop the initial one-part fantasy into a completed three-part work. And when the work was ready, she was the soloist at its premiere in 1845. Thus, one of the most beloved piano concertos of Romanticism also bears her creative imprint.
On the same evening, Clara Schumann's Piano Concerto in A minor will also be performed - a true musical discovery for the Bulgarian audience. She composed it when she was only fifteen years old and performed its premiere herself with the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig under the baton of Felix Mendelssohn. After decades in which her name remained in the shadow of her husband's fame, today Clara Schumann's music is experiencing a well-deserved revival and is increasingly heard in the programs of the largest orchestras and concert halls around the world.
The history of the Schumann family is not only a story of love, but also of exceptional dedication. After Robert's serious illness, it was Clara who dedicated her life to ensuring that his music reached the audience. With her concerts throughout Europe, she made a decisive contribution to his works becoming part of the world musical canon - a legacy that continues to inspire performers and listeners almost two centuries later.
The conductor will be Naiden Todorov, whose interpretations of the romantic repertoire are among the most highly appreciated by the audience of the Sofia Philharmonic. After a series of international successes in recent seasons, he has once again chosen a program that combines a well-known musical masterpiece with a rarely performed work, bringing to life an almost forgotten page in the history of Romanticism.
The soloist of the evening will be the Lithuanian pianist Onute Gražinyte – a representative of one of the most famous musical families in Europe. She is the sister of the world-famous conductor Mirga Gražinyte-Tila, and the two often perform together on prestigious European stages. Onute graduated from the National School of Arts “M. K. Čiurlionis“ in Vilnius, and then specialized in Hanover and Berlin with Kiril Gerstein. He performs as a soloist with leading European orchestras, and Robert Schumann's Piano Concerto is among the works with which he most often impresses international audiences.
The concert on October 15 is a rare opportunity to hear two works together, connected not only by the same tonality, but also by an extraordinary human story. An evening in which music tells of love, trust and mutual inspiration - those values that make Robert and Clara Schumann one of the most remarkable artistic couples of all time.
Olya AL-AHMEED