Violinist Ronald Lantz and pianist Laura Kargul will celebrate Valentine’s Day with a concert of music from the Romantic period. They will focus on great composers who harbored secret loves, or at the least, maintained unconventional romantic liaisons.

“Valentine’s Day with Lantz and Kargul: The Secret Loves of the Great Romantics” is co-presented by the University of Southern Maine School of Music and The Lark Society at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15, at Woodfords Congregational Church, 202 Woodford St.

Featured works include the third violin sonata of Brahms, arrangements of several “Songs Without Words” by Mendelssohn, and other works by Schumann, Dvorak and Faure.

“We couldn’t play a program like this without returning to the passionate relationship between Johannes Brahms and Clara Schumann,” said Kargul, USM professor of music and director of keyboard studies. “No one can say definitely what transpired because they destroyed so much of the evidence, but it is clear that they tried for their entire lives to keep the truth a secret. Their closest friends, and even Clara’s children, knew that it was not for public knowledge.”

“The topic reveals some fascinating insights,” said Lantz, member of the Portland String Quartet. “For example, the popularly held notion is that Mendelssohn led a relatively conservative and undramatic life, especially for an artist of his stature. Yes, he was married with five children, and he enjoyed a highly successful career as a composer, conductor and pianist.”

Lantz noted that there is evidence that Mendelssohn also pursued an illicit relationship with a world-renowned performer. “That person shall remain unnamed until our concert,” said Lantz. “Some think that he even tried to persuade her to run off to America with him. This sheds a whole new light on his music and how best to interpret it.”

The violinist and pianist noted that the concert also will feature a composer whose more conventional relationship may arouse all the sweet and sentimental feelings associated with Valentine’s Day.

“People may be surprised or even shocked by some of the revelations,” said Kargul. “But in homage to the idea of true love, we will round out the program with one composer who had an idyllic marriage, of all things,” said Kargul.

It turns out that Jacques de la Presle was madly in love with his wife and it was she who served as his artistic muse, according to Kargul. “For example, de la Presle’s ‘Chanson Intime’ was inspired by thoughts of his wife while he was on the battlefield during WWI, imagining their future life together,” said Kargul. “He also wrote beautiful, intimate letters to her that we will share with the audience. He makes it clear that his music is an expression of his deep feelings for her.”

Tickets are $22, general public; $20 for seniors, free for students; and are available through the USM School of Music, The Lark Society, and at the door. The Lark Society offers subsidized tickets. Visit http://usm.maine.edu/music/boxoffice or call 207-780-5555. The Lark Society box office is at www.larksociety.org or call 207-761-1522.