CD Review
Brahms: Viola Works, Maxim Rysanov, viola
- Composer
- Brahms
- Artist
- Maxim Rysanov, viola; Katya Apekisheva, Boris Brovtsyn, Jacob Katsnelson, Kristina Blaumane
- Label
- Onyx
- Catalogue
- ONYX4033
- Reviewed by
- Dawn Cooke
New from Onyx last month was an interesting recording that includes chamber works written for other instruments in the first instance but for which Brahms himself wrote an alternative viola part, in order that they would be more accessible and therefore performed more frequently. The exception is the arrangement of the Violin Sonata in G major, which viola-player Rysanov has adapted from the original arrangement made by Klengel (who worked for Brahms’s publisher). It’s a success; Rysanov’s warmth of tone and imaginative interpretation do the piece justice, although the reading is arguably less illuminating than is the case with the other works found here.
The sonatas in F minor and E flat Major are more likely to be heard with a clarinet, as is the Trio in A minor. They were written as a direct result of Brahms’s relationship with the clarinettist Richard Mühlfeld. This is the first time I have heard a recording of the trio using viola rather than clarinet and I must confess I had decided, before having heard it, that I wouldn’t enjoy it as it works so beautifully as a clarinet trio. I am happy to say that I had changed my mind within the first few bars. This is one of the most moving of all Brahms’s chamber works, and here the opening cello motif is answered more than adequately by Rysanov’s husky brooding tone. The blood relationship of these instruments, cemented immediately, develops and brings a heartfelt depth to the work.
Hearing the viola in the place of the horn in the Trio in E flat came as a revelation to me also. Issues of balance, so difficult to achieve with the horn, are resolved and the work at once has a homogeny that suits it well. It is a treat to hear these pieces played together with such vitality and warmth, and I am convinced that any fan of Brahms will agree.
A note on this page
Originally published by Dawn Cooke, recovered from mmmusic's own archive and reproduced here as the critic wrote it.
Questions about this recording
Why are these pieces on viola rather than their original instruments?
Brahms himself wrote alternative viola parts for several chamber works originally composed for other instruments, so they'd be more accessible and performed more often, this disc gathers those viola versions together.
Which piece isn't a Brahms viola arrangement?
The Violin Sonata in G major, which Rysanov adapted himself from an existing arrangement by Julius Klengel, who worked for Brahms's publisher.
Why were the clarinet works written in the first place?
The F minor and E flat major sonatas, and the A minor trio, were written as a direct result of Brahms's friendship with the clarinettist Richard Mühlfeld, they're more usually heard in their original clarinet versions.
Is this recording still available to buy?
Yes, Onyx's catalogue number ONYX4033 remains findable through classical retailers. We don't run an in-house shop, so we link out to Amazon and Discogs below.
