1837 Prague

During her first stay in Prague in November 1837 – Clara Wieck was on the way to Vienna with her father – the 18-year-old pianist was welcomed with great enthusiasm. She gave three concerts and after her first one, she was called back on stage for 13 times. In her third performance, she presented her own piano concert and was called on stage for four times.
The second stay in Prague with Robert was characterized by enthusiasm for Clara as practicing artist, but also for Schumann and his works. The composer conducted the performance of his piano concert with Clara and the grand piano himself and was called back to stage as well. The first concert with the presentation of Schumann’s piano quartet op. 44 and several songs from the Eichendorff cycle earned vivid applause and personal ovations for the composer. The attention of the Bohemian-Austrian high nobility, residing in Prague, was also a nice contrast compared to the previous stay in Vienna, where the reactions of the noble audience was more than reserved.

In March 1856, Clara Schumann returned to Prague. Back then, she was on her way back home from a successful concert tour to Vienna and Budapest and only gave two concerts, although she was asked to stay longer. She again performed songs of Robert Schumann and furthermore played Beethoven’s piano sonatas, Variations sérieuses by Mendelssohn, his scherzo a capriccio, a song without words, two compositions by Chopin and two Fantasiestücke by Schumann (op. 12 Nr. 7 and 1). !859 and 1865 Clara came to Prague again to give to concerts each stay, but these times not in context with tours to Austria-Hungary. On 6^th of April 1865, she again performed Schumann’s piano concert and on the 8^th of April she played songs of Schumann as well as his andante, variations for two pianos op. 46 and the Carnaval.


(Julia M. Nauhaus, translated by Katharina Ma)