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1977 Brahms The Violin Sonatas Georg Kulenkampff Solti Piano Vinyl LP Record VG+
Record Grade per Goldmine Standard: VG+
Sir Georg Solti-His First Recordings! BRAHMS -THE VIOLIN SONATAS G Major,Op.78 -A Major,Op.100 -D Minor,Op.108 Georg Kilenkampff,Volin ♦ Georg Solti, Piano SIDE ONE VIOLIN SONATA in G, Op. 78 (25:40) 1.Vivace ma non troppo 2.Adagio 3.Allegro molto moderate VIOLIN SONATA in A, Op. 100 (7:50) 1.Allegro amabile SIDE TWO VIOLIN SONATA in A, Op. 100 (Concl.) (11:10) 2.Andante tranquillo—Vivace 3.Allegretto grazioso VIOLIN SONATA in D minor. Op. 108 (20:27) 1.Allegro 2.Adagio 3.Un poco presto e con sentimento 4.Presto agitato It is hardly surprising that Brahms, though a pianist himself, had so true an understanding of the violin; he began his professional career touring as accompanist to the Hungarian violinist, Eduard Rem6nyi, and, far more important, he became an intimate life-long friend, from the early age of twenty, of the greatest German violinist of the century, Joseph Joachim, for whom he wrote his great violin concerto in 1878. The first of his three pub- lished sonatas for violin and piano—in G, Op. 78-appeared the year after the violin concerto, when the composer was forty-six. (Tovey claims that Brahms’ intensely self- critical nature compelled him to suppress his first four essays in the medium). The A major Sonata, Op. 100, followed in 1886, and the D minor Sonata, Op. 108, was started in 1886 and completed two years later. Most of the composer's inspiration for these last two works came to him while spending summer “holidays” at Thun, with its magnificent views of the Eiger, Munch and Jungfrau beyond the lake. By common judgement, Brahms’ first sonata for violin and piano, in G, Op. 78, already showed that Brahms not only had conquered the thorny problem of balancing the two instruments, but had carried the achievements of Mozart and Beethoven, to whom he was deeply indebted, a step further by infusing the classical forms with glowing romantic content. The music flows freely and has a won- derful lyrical quality, enhanced by the contrasts of the tempestuous episode of the development section in the first movement and the deeply felt Adagio. The first and last movements, although wistful, are so light-hearted that Brahms felt he could omit a scherzo. The lyrical mood is further emphasized by the fact that in the finale Brahms, like Schubert, used material from two of his songs, the Regenlied and Nachkiang from Op. 59. The A major Sonata is one of the most lyrical, smiling and tender works ever to come from the frequently sup- posed gruffly masculine Brahms. Much has been made of the fact that the first three notes are identical with those of the Prize Song in Wagner’s Die Meistersinger. The identity of the three notes is really irrelevant, but the similarity of mood is interesting. The second subject is again taken from one of Brahms’ own songs Wie Meiodien zieht es (Op. 105, No. 1), and it establishes the character and role assigned by Brahms to the violin. This character determines not only the mood of the entire work, but also its form. To lighten the load of the slow movement, Brahms combines it with the scherzo, which is interpola- ted between the initial statement and the repetition of a slow and expressive melody and forms the codetta. Even the last movement is lyrical and dreamy, evoking a charming picture of youth, beauty and tender sentiments. Though still full of welcome lyricism, the D minor Sonata is much more dramatic and forceful than its two predecessors in major keys. In its totality, this work reaffirms Schumann’s early judgement that Brahms’ sonatas are “veiled symphonies” and that he could make the piano “an orchestra of lamenting and loudly jubilant voices.” The unrest of the first movement is intensified to passionate excitement in the Presto agitato, not allow- ing any mild, conciliatory conclusion. Between the two movements there is a brief, highly earnest Adagio that is deeply moving in its austerity and a nervous scherzo-like piece whose deliberately simple main subject is pervaded by an expression of infinite loneliness.




LP609