Famous pianist Ragna Schirmer celebrates the composer and pianist Clara Schumann – Ragna is the “Clara”-specialist in general. Schumann’s Piano Concerto is combined with Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto. The French conductor Ariane Matiakh is performing with the Staatskapelle Halle.

“Ragna’s intensive engagement with Clara gave me the feeling at times that Clara herself was sitting at the piano,” says the French conductor Ariane Matiakh with great enthusiasm following the recording of this CD.

The present recording combines Clara Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor, op.7, with the Piano Concerto no.4 in G major by Ludwig van Beethoven, which Clara Schumann played in more than 50 concerts.

To make this live recording, Ragna Schirmer invited the conductor Ariane Matiakh to the place she has chosen to live, Halle an der Saale. “She has the ability to coax the tenderest tones from the orchestra while storing up expressive power and vast energy for the evening’s dramatic moments,” writes Ragna Schirmer.