Mme Dulcken's Soirées

We can see a major change beginning in the programme that she gave in her home, one of a series of afternoon concerts, soirées:

Programme 8 Mme Dulken's Soirées, Harley Street, London, 1847

Programme from the Centre for Performance History, Royal College of Music

Here we see a very different repertory beginning to form: classical chamber works. The first half is self-consciously serious, with no Italian composer represented, and the focus being on the two works of Beethoven — indeed, since around 1800 sonatas were rarely performed in concerts. The second half is lighter, with opera numbers by Morlacchi and Rossini and salon-like pieces by Mendelssohn, Weber and Chopin.

The 'new' quintet by Schumann advertised for the third soirée (his op. 44), was composed in 1842 and had been published the following year.