3 Intermezzi

Historical context

When Brahms’s Intermezzo in C sharp minor, Op. 117, had just been published, it was Clara Schumann who introduced it to Eugenie. Eugenie noted that Clara played the piece “wonderfully” on that occasion.

Remarkably, Eugenie observed the evolving depth of Clara Schumann’s interpretation over time. After three months, Eugenie noted that the Intermezzo had become “spiritualised, transfigured” under Clara’s hands, suggesting a profound and developing connection between the esteemed pianist and the newly published work.

Drawn from Schumann, Eugenie, 1851-1938; Schumann, Robert, 1810-1856; Busch, Marie, The Schumanns and Johannes Brahms; the memoirs of Eugenie Schumann (1927) — public domain, archive.org.