For Johannes Brahms they were musical heroes who might just deign to hear out this unknown composer hoping to make his mark; for Robert and Clara Schumann the handsome young man was 'a messenger sent from God'. When he first called at their Düsseldorf home, little could Brahms foresee the extent to which their lives life would become inextricably connected. Donald Macleod tells the story of the first encounter between Brahms and Clara Schumann, who would become a lifelong friend, critic and inspiration. Show less