Clara Wieck - Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 7 (1835)

Clara Josephine Schumann (née Wieck; 13 September 1819 – 20 May 1896) was a German pianist, composer, and piano teacher. Regarded as one of the most distinguished pianists of the Romantic era, she exerted her influence over a 61-year concert career, changing the format and repertoire of the piano recital from displays of virtuosity to programs of serious works. She also composed solo piano pieces, a piano concerto (her Op. 7), chamber music, choral pieces, and songs.

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Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 7 (1833-35)

1. Allegro maestoso (1834) (0:00)
2. Romanze (1835) (6:07)
3. Finale. Allegro non troppo - Allegro molto (1833) (10:38)

Veronica Jochum, piano and the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Joseph Silverstein

Clara Wieck was an accomplished concert pianist, trained by her father Friedrich Wieck. She was already making international tours at age eleven and composed piano pieces for her recitals. In January 1833, at age 13, she began composing a Piano Concerto in A minor, completing in November a single-movement Konzertsatz that she orchestrated herself. In February 1834, her future husband Robert revised the orchestration, and the 14-year-old prodigy then performed it in several concerts.

She then expanded the work by adding two more movements, using the Konzertsatz as the finale. The new first movement was completed in June 1834, and the slow second movement "Romance" with its extended cello solo was finished the following year. She again orchestrated the work herself, including undoing Robert's revisions of the original Konzertsatz, completing her new three-movement Piano Concerto on 1 September 1835, twelve days before her 16th birthday.

Wieck premiered the full concerto on 9 November 1835 as soloist with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, conducted by Mendelssohn.