For our concerts on 6th and 8th May, 2025, we are delighted to welcome once again, pianist Lucy Parham together with narrator, Joanne David who will perform ‘I Clara’; the story of the life and music of Clara Schumann
I, CLARA
Clara Schumann – A Life in Music
Lucy Parham – piano
Joanna David – narrator
Scripted by Lucy Parham
Created to celebrate 200 years since Clara Wieck Schumann’s birth in 1819, I, Clara tells her extraordinary life story in her own words. It is the sixth Composer Portrait created by Lucy Parham and it received its London premiere at Kings Place in October 2019.
Clara Schumann was a truly exceptional woman, not just a devoted wife to the composer Robert Schumann, but a groundbreaking musician in her own right. Over a period of 60 years she gave over 1,500 concerts and determined the format of the kind of piano recital that is familiar to us today.
As a child prodigy, she was groomed for stardom by her piano-teacher father, Friedrich Wieck. By the age of eight she was dazzling audiences throughout Europe. Having married Robert against her father’s wishes, she became the mother of eight children. When her husband declined tragically into mental illness and an attempt at suicide, she continued both to run the household and to make an international concert career to support the family.
Clara championed the works of her husband and of Chopin, Mendelssohn, Brahms and many others. She herself was also a talented composer, producing a piano concerto, numerous solo piano works, chamber music and songs.
The narrative of I, Clara, drawn from letters and diaries, is interspersed with live performances of her works, and of music by Robert Schumann, Brahms, Liszt, Mendelssohn, and Chopin. The narrator for this performance is the acclaimed actress, Joanna David.
“It’s my favourite thing for Clara Schumann’s Anniversary and my Album of the Week. It’s a seriously moving tribute.” Andrew McGregor, BBC Radio 3 Record Review
“A beautifully crafted portrait of Clara Schumann. Be prepared to shed a tear”
***** 5 stars Album of the Month, Pianist Magazine
“One of the must-see events of the musical calendar” BBC Music Magazine
LINKS
Clara page: http://lucyparham.com/project/i-clara-composer-portrait/Link to I,Clara trailer film with Juliet and Lucy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U43W4uYLDSM
Link to Clara Schumann Nocturne played by LP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CS5ESHA4S4
Link to LP’s website www.lucyparham.com
I, Clara page: http://lucyparham.com/project/i-clara-composer-portrait/ (all pictures, reviews etc)
Lucy Parham. pianist
Acknowledged as one of Britain`s finest pianists, Lucy Parham applies her sensitivity and imagination not only to concertos and recitals, but also to portraits in words and music of such composers as Schumann, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Liszt and Debussy.
Her life-long passion for the music of Schumann inspired the original concept of the words and music evening, Beloved Clara. Three further evenings, Liszt – An Odyssey ofLove and Nocturne – The Romantic Life of Frédéric Chopin, as well as Rêverie – theLife and Loves of Claude Debussy also premiered in the London Piano Series at the Wigmore Hall. Her fifth portrait was Elégie– Rachmaninoff, A Heart in Exile and nowher latest show, I, Clara was created to celebrate the 200 th anniversary of ClaraSchumann.
Acclaimed actors who appear in these programmes include Juliet Stevenson, AlexJennings, Tim McInnerny, Henry Goodman, Simon Russell Beale, Harriet Walter, RobertGlenister, Martin Jarvis, Simon Callow, Dominic West, Alistair McGowan, Rosamund Pike, Roger Allam, Patricia Hodge, Joanna David, Samuel West, Edward Fox and Charles Dance.
Lucy Parham first came to public attention as the Piano Winner of the 1984 BBC Young Musician of the Year. Since her Royal Festival Hall concerto debut at the age of 16, she hasplayed throughout the UK as concerto soloist with most of the major British orchestrasand been a frequent recitalist at the Wigmore Hall. She has toured the USA with theBBC Concert Orchestra, and Mexico and Turkey with RPO, with whom she has nowgiven over 60 performances. Abroad, she has toured with the Russian State Symphony,Sofia Philharmonic, Bergen Philharmonic, Polish National Radio SO and OrchestreNational de Lille. She has made over twenty recital and concerto CDs including all herComposer Portrait concerts.
She also appears frequently as a broadcast presenter on BBC Radio 3 and 4 and BBC TV,and has been the Director of two Schumann Festivals in London. She presented four series of Kings Place Coffee Concerts.
Booking for Members opens 14th April
Booking for non-members opens 21st April
To reserve your places, send an email to Cristina Palma at:
All Concerts begin at 7.00 pm sharp.
Doors open at 6.00 pm and wine and canapés are served from 6.15 and in the interval.
Entry donation is €30 per person for Amigos’ guests and non-members.