7 Fantasien

Historical context

Brahms’s 7 Fantasien, Op. 116, was heard by Eugenie shortly after its publication, performed by the esteemed Clara Schumann. Eugenie noted that Clara played the piece “wonderfully” during this early encounter. The impression of the work deepened over time, as Eugenie observed its evolving character. After a period of three months, Eugenie recorded that the Fantasia had become “spiritualised, transfigured.” These insights into the early reception and interpretation of Op. 116 come from “the book,” offering a glimpse into how the work was perceived and developed in performance by one of its most significant interpreters.

Drawn from Schumann, Eugenie, 1851-1938; Schumann, Robert, 1810-1856; Busch, Marie, The Schumanns and Johannes Brahms; the memoirs of Eugenie Schumann (1927) — public domain, archive.org.