Brahms: Violin Sonatas 1-3; Hungarian Dances
Joachim: Romance in B-Flat
Aaron Rosand, violin
Hugh Sung, piano
Musical Concepts
Here's a recording Brahms three violin sonatas, and his Hungarian Dances. For a major composer, he has remarkably few extant works but what has survived is of very high quality. This is because Brahms did not hesitate to surpress/destroy any of his works he felt were not up to his standard.
The sonatas comprise the first disc, and reward multiple hearings indeed. The shifting moods of the 1st movement of the Sonata #1 are well caught by Messrs Rosand and Sung. The 2nd movement continues this weaving of meditation and passion, with what borders on nostalgia at times. The last movement with its dancelike cadences brings the piece to a satisfying close. The other sonatas are like it in spirit (I'd say #2 is my favorite) and are certainly worth hearing. (I should add that unlike other composers, Brahms really makes the accompanist work too - and Mr. Sung does so very well.)
The second disc holds the Hungarian Dances, which Brahms originally wrote for four hands piano. The version heard here was arranged for violin and piano by Joseph Joachim (a long time friend and collaborator with Brahms), whose romance is heard at the end of this disc. And what a contrast to the classical side of this collection! Rosand and Sung play the dances as the gypsy music which inspired it, breaking any number of rules along the way. But what fun it is! I can't help but imagine both of them having a lot of fun playing them - I for one can't help but grin like an idiot hearing them traverse the cycle with virtuosity and a fine sense of mayhem.
Joachim's Romance after the dances returns the mood back to traditional classical music and is a fine piece in its own right. Lyrical, and dramatic without being melodramatic, it shows why he did such a good job with his arrangement of the Dances.
The maxim "Those who can't, teach" does not apply here - Mr. Rosand teaches at the Curtis School of Music, and clearly shows a command of his instrument as well as a sensitivity to the composer's intentions. Mr Sung, a Curtis graduate, follows his soloist's lead, but adds some great passages of his own. For a lively interplay between two accomplished artists, this recording is almost self recommending.
Basic Library (Repertoire and Performance)
Audio Samples,
Brahms