Clara Schumann: Prodigy, Muse, Virtuoso Concert

Clara Schumann: Prodigy, Muse, Virtuoso. A Concert with a Difference in the Great Barn at Hellens

The concert is entitled Clara Schumann: Prodigy, Muse, Virtuoso and has been designed to convey the story of Clara Schumann’s remarkable life in this the bi-centenary of her birth, with acclaimed pianist Reiko Fujisawa and well-known actor and narrator Crawford Logan.  In words and music, these artists will present a portrait of the woman who was, at once, a leading pianist of her day, the wife of one great composer and the intimate friend of another, mother of eight children, composer and teacher. Her life was marked by tragedy and distinguished by a career which spanned more than sixty years. We see her now as a strikingly independent woman, a woman of her time yet one who worked tirelessly against the grain of assumption and prejudice.  Reiko will perform works by Clara and Robert Schumann, their contemporaries Chopin, Liszt and Brahms and a celebrated movement from the ‘Pathétique’ Sonata by Beethoven, a composer whose music made a profound impact upon Clara.

Brahms                             Intermezzo in E minor Op. 119 No. 2

Clara Schumann              Scherzo No. 1 in D minor Op. 10
Romance in G minor Op. 21 No. 3

Beethoven                        Adagio Cantabile from Sonata in C minor Op. 13 (Pathétique)

Chopin                              Impromptu No. 2 in F sharp major Op. 36
Impromptu No. 1 in A flat major Op. 29
Impromptu No. 4 in C sharp minor Op. 66 (Fantaisie Impromptu)

Schumann arr. Liszt       Frühlingsnacht from Liederkreis Op. 39

Schumann                       Faschingsschwank aus Wien Op. 26

Schumann arr. Liszt       Widmung from Myrthen Op. 25

Originally from Japan, Reiko Fujisawa, who has made her home in England for many years, is a pianist of the greatest sensitivity who, in her performances, seeks to express the warmth of communication between composer and performer, and performer and audience.  She has appeared many times at prestigious venues across the UK and abroad and, in chamber music, collaborates with top international ensembles, a recent concert with the now world-famous Carducci Quartet at Kings Place in London being an example.

“Her elegant playing was a total joy.”  The Times
Crawford Logan has appeared in a number of television series, including Dr Who, EastEnders, Secret Army and Outlander and, on radio, alongside many other broadcasts, has played the role of Paul Temple and has been in The Archers.

Tickets: £16 (students £8) from Hereford Courtyard Box Office on 01432 340555 and online at www.courtyard.org.uk