16. Crespo Series

Two Fantasies of Forbidden Love

Time and date

Monday 29 June 2026

4:00 pm

5:00 pm

Location

Bantry House

Share :

Two Fantasies of Forbidden Love

The fabled opening to Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata inspired another great composer to describe it as 'one of those poems that human language does not know how to qualify'. It quickly became one of the most famous pieces ever composed, as magical an opening for a recital as you could wish for. Beethoven composed this glimpse of immortality for one of his beloved students, Giulietta Guicciardi. As a Countess she was way beyond his reach, but the implacable ferocity of the Finale speaks of the intensity of his feelings for her. Schumann’s Fantasy also speaks of forbidden love. Clara, his beloved, was banned from meeting with him for almost two years, but she found a way to play his pieces on her concert tours. The Fantasy quotes liberally from Beethoven’s song cycle 'An die Ferne Geliebte' (To the Distant Beloved), which Clara saw as a message to her. So the lovers spoke to each other in music, he wrote music for her full of coded secret messages, she played the music all over Europe.

Admission: €28/22/16/12

4PM CRESPO SERIES These hour-long concerts take place daily. If you can’t quite squeeze in a full two-hour concert, then here is the chance to listen to a world class soloist perform in the marvellous surroundings of Bantry House. These concerts are generously supported by the Crespo Foundation, and are named after the late Ulrike Crespo, a great friend and donor to the Festival.

 

Watch a clip of Anna Fedorova playing ‘Moonlight Sonata’

All works performed by Anna Fedorova


Composer Work
Beethoven Sonata quasi una Fantasia in C sharp minor Op.27/2 ‘Moonlight’
Schumann Fantasie in C major Op.17