The year 1860 represented a turning-point in Brahms's life: he issued a 'Manifesto' in which he distanced himself from the Romanticism of the 'New German School' epitomised by Liszt and their association with Wagner's music-dramas.

This aesthetic change of heart placed an emphasis on hard work and craftsmanship rather than the more Romantic conception of inspiration, with Brahms taking a particular pride in being both German and a self-made man. This ethos is reflected in the Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, op.24. Brahms's two Rhapsodies, op.79, were composed in 1879 and were dedicated to his friend Elisabeth von Herzogenberg. The title may lull the listener into a false sense of whimsy, when in reality these pieces are founded on clear structural designs. Brahms wrote of the three Intermezzos, op.117, to his friend Rudolf von der Leyen, describing them as 'Wiegenlieder meiner Schmerzen': 'lullabies of my sorrow'. Each has the character of a soliloquy or introspective personal reflection.

Through his life, Brahms was influenced by those he admired: the musicians he idolised, and the women with whom he formed powerful bonds. Clara Schumann represented both, and Nino Gvetadze explores their fascinating dynamic in The Muse. Brahms's two Rhapsodies, op.79, were dedicated to Elisabeth von Herzogenberg, whose loss he mourned in the Intermezzos, op.117; and he was inspired by Handel to write a phenomenal set of Variations dedicated to Clara Schumann - whose Op.21 Romances date from a time that neither she nor Brahms would ever forget.