If you're looking to get to know this work better, Brahms also arranged this for violin and piano, Roberto Szidon and Jenny Abel recorded it for Harmonia Mundi back in 1978, recording of it is on my channel. Completely different type of interpretation, but worth a listen!
I usually don't like Brahms, except for this piece (among a few others), but that's mostly because I'm a violist and there was a time when I didn't have internet access and for some reason I had this sonata downloaded in my phone, so listened to it many times lol Thanks for uploading, I've looked for a score video of this piece for some time.
Late Brahms is very different from early Brahms - and a number of people I've met who say they don't like Brahms - often have only heard his early or middle period works. I admit I like nearly all Brahm's compositions but some history has not always been kind to Brahms.
I love this Viola Sonata and I prefer Viola over Violin overall. Yes, low register Violin is absolutely gorgeous, but I find it gets very strident and sounds like it goes too high at the C 2 octaves above middle C. Not so with high register Viola. It has a brighter tone that is more comparable to the middle register Violin and never really sounds strident. High register Cello, I mean in some ways it has an even more Violin-like tone than the Viola’s high register, but it’s incredibly hard and sounds chocking compared to the rest of the Cello’s range. The Cello is my favorite string instrument and the Viola might have just become my second favorite because of this Brahms Viola Sonata.
More likely than not as a nod to his late mentor of sorts Robert Schumann. His op. 73 piece was originally written for the clarinet, but he did specify that it could be played by either viola or cello. Now Brahms already had a great wealth of music for the cello by this point, but not much for the cello. It’s also interesting with this sonata being in f minor and the 2nd one being in E-flat major because, when looking at these pieces and Brahms’ way of progressivism in conservatism, he likely chose to write these in the same key as Carl Maria von Weber’s clarinet concerti.
One of the most mystifying and inexplicable performance traditions in all of classical music is the one that treats the character and tempo of the first movement of this sonata as a broad, sustained, introspective Andante, rather than the impassioned Allegro that Brahms requested. It makes absolutely no sense, and yet there it is, seemingly locked in forever as "the way it's supposed to go", such that if you were to actually heed Brahms's request, it would be considered wrong.
Nah, the Piano is not merely a accompaniment, espiacially in Brahms. Both are equally important and having the String Instrument drown out the Piano in recordings is not good.
@@brigitte8259 Of course it is a sonata for both instruments, but I believe the piano is played more loudly than it should as the viola cannot be heard as well as I think it should. This is a matter of volume.
I agree the piano is too loud. Here is a VERY good balance, Oguchi playing piano.m.ruclips.net/video/xaUMsIh4yFs/видео.html&pp=ygUfYnJhaG1zIHZpb2xhIHNvbmF0YSBvcCAxMjAgbiAxIA%3D%3D
A fascinating work! Never heard it before, but I will have to study it more intently. A lot going on, compositionally.
If you're looking to get to know this work better, Brahms also arranged this for violin and piano, Roberto Szidon and Jenny Abel recorded it for Harmonia Mundi back in 1978, recording of it is on my channel. Completely different type of interpretation, but worth a listen!
If you’re going to study this, then do yourself a favour and check out the original version (for clarinet and piano)
Finally a score with the viola part, not clarinet, uploaded!
0:52 Why does the violist play this section an octave higher?
I was wondering the same!
it’s because this was originally a clarinet sonata, so the violist chooses to go to the clarinets register as a part of their interpretation.
score printing error.
13:32
15:20 bar 47
I usually don't like Brahms, except for this piece (among a few others), but that's mostly because I'm a violist and there was a time when I didn't have internet access and for some reason I had this sonata downloaded in my phone, so listened to it many times lol
Thanks for uploading, I've looked for a score video of this piece for some time.
Yes that's how you get to like Brahms, listen to a piece many times.
@@watutman I mean, he usually has a nursing song-like feeling that is appealing by itself.
Listen to the third movement of his Violin concerto as well as the third movement of his 3rd symphony
@@giuseppeettoremantovani2465 Also, listen to his Clarinet Quintet.
Late Brahms is very different from early Brahms - and a number of people I've met who say they don't like Brahms - often have only heard his early or middle period works. I admit I like nearly all Brahm's compositions but some history has not always been kind to Brahms.
This was not a Viola Sonata, it was originally written for clarinet and piano by Brahms in 1894 and then arranged by him in 1895 for viola and piano
I love this Viola Sonata and I prefer Viola over Violin overall. Yes, low register Violin is absolutely gorgeous, but I find it gets very strident and sounds like it goes too high at the C 2 octaves above middle C. Not so with high register Viola. It has a brighter tone that is more comparable to the middle register Violin and never really sounds strident. High register Cello, I mean in some ways it has an even more Violin-like tone than the Viola’s high register, but it’s incredibly hard and sounds chocking compared to the rest of the Cello’s range. The Cello is my favorite string instrument and the Viola might have just become my second favorite because of this Brahms Viola Sonata.
You should give Moncayo's or Martinu's sonatas a try. (i also have a viola music playlist)
Actually,this sonata Brahms writes either choose clarinet or viola in this works,so this can be Clarinet sonata or Viola sonata
Yes but here the score is for viola; it's the same opus though
More likely than not as a nod to his late mentor of sorts Robert Schumann. His op. 73 piece was originally written for the clarinet, but he did specify that it could be played by either viola or cello. Now Brahms already had a great wealth of music for the cello by this point, but not much for the cello. It’s also interesting with this sonata being in f minor and the 2nd one being in E-flat major because, when looking at these pieces and Brahms’ way of progressivism in conservatism, he likely chose to write these in the same key as Carl Maria von Weber’s clarinet concerti.
音程を正確に取るのって本当に難しいんだな。
ですね〜
Now the Clarinet Version!
One of the most mystifying and inexplicable performance traditions in all of classical music is the one that treats the character and tempo of the first movement of this sonata as a broad, sustained, introspective Andante, rather than the impassioned Allegro that Brahms requested. It makes absolutely no sense, and yet there it is, seemingly locked in forever as "the way it's supposed to go", such that if you were to actually heed Brahms's request, it would be considered wrong.
Let’s hear you play it then.
@@iangreer4585 ?? I don't understand your comment.
schöne Sendung
Beautiful playing- the viola sounds particularly rich- but the balance is off, the piano frequently being too loud.
Nah, the Piano is not merely a accompaniment, espiacially in Brahms. Both are equally important and having the String Instrument drown out the Piano in recordings is not good.
No, piano is fully right. This is Chamber music for piano and viola !
@@brigitte8259 Of course it is a sonata for both instruments, but I believe the piano is played more loudly than it should as the viola cannot be heard as well as I think it should. This is a matter of volume.
I agree the piano is too loud. Here is a VERY good balance, Oguchi playing piano.m.ruclips.net/video/xaUMsIh4yFs/видео.html&pp=ygUfYnJhaG1zIHZpb2xhIHNvbmF0YSBvcCAxMjAgbiAxIA%3D%3D
poco f
1st mvt:
1
2nd:
1
Frankly this violist doesn't sound very good in parts
it's Viola, what did you expect (this is a joke just so you know)
@zephthezquirrellord how dare you... that was a good joke.
@@brentonwardart451 to make matters funnier, I'm learning this right now