Diana Damrau and Jonas Kaufmann perform love songs by Schumann and Brahms

Recognized as two of the greatest composers of the romantic era, Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms were often inspired, incredibly, by their love for the same woman: Clara Schumann! A celebrated composer in her own right, and one of the most outstanding pianists of her day, she bore a great affection for Brahms, 14 years her junior. After Robert Schumann’s admission to a psychiatric hospital (where he would die three years later), Brahms's undeniable love for Clara awoke a profound friendship between the two as they became musical collaborators. Even if their letters indicate that Clara may have reciprocated his feelings, her unconditional love for her late husband would never allow her to begin a romance with Brahms. But their friendship, like the Schumanns’ marriage, resulted in some of the most heart-wrenching music of the 19th century.