Brahms Viola Works
Rysanov; Apekisheva; Brovtsyn; Katsnelson; Blaumane
Onyx ONYX4033 (2CD)
Release date October 2008

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.

Reviewed by Dawn Cooke