Customer Reviews

Brahms:The Violin and Viola Sonatas

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Chamber music is a tricky thing, particularly for musicians with a highly personal musical style. How do you share a composition with other player(s) without compromising what you want to do with the piece? In intrinsically balanced compositions, such as string quartets, the problem seems to be more manageable. In sonatas for instrument and piano, however, the issue is much more tangible. The challenge can be tackled in various ways: the Perlman/Ashkenazy approach is one of perfect matching of interpretaion, which leads to a very smooth and "clean" result. The Zukerman/Barenboim approach is more liberal. The phrasing of the two is not identical, Barenboim sometimes brings things "out" that Zukerman does not, etc. The end result is gritty (partly also because of the wonderful "earthliness" of Zukerman's tone) dramatic and highly poetic, not in a sweet way. This is a magical performance. It perhaps takes a little while to get used to this higly individual approach (I was very used to the Perlman/Ashkenazy couple, in particular in their stellar Beethoven set, so I had to adjust a little...) but what can I say - I became addicted...

If Franks and Serkin get a 5-star rating for their Brahms Violin Sonata performance, Zukerman and Barenboim get a 6-star! I own both cds and the Zukerman/Barenboim version is more solid in sound and rendered with more emotion than the Franks/Serkin version. Besides, with the Zukerman/Barenboim version you get more Brahms for your money. A no-brainer, a must for any Brahms collector !

***3 1/2 stars***
These are decent performances that would serve as an acceptable introduction to these works, but there are far better alternatives available. One problem here is that Barenboim and Zukerman have divergent views of how these pieces should be played, and as a result the two can't seem to decide on phrasing. The results are choppy and somewhat inconsistent. I'd personally recommend looking at other alternatives. For the violin sonatas, excellent recordings by Suk/Katchen and Schneiderhan/Seeman are far superior to these. For the viola sonatas, either Hagen/Serkin or Bashmet/Muntian are preferable.

The sound here is fine, although a bit close and bright as was characteristic of late 70s DG analog. DG used its Original Image processing to clean the sound up, so it sounds better now than it ever has before, although still not top flight. The booklet is good, providing good detail on the works and composer in multiple languages.

In sum, unless you are on a budget and need all of the violin and viola sonatas in one issue, I'd suggest you look elsewhere. Barenboim and Zukerman are fine artists, but this isn't a successful pairing, and with better options available should not be a first, second or even third choice.

I find Pinkas's tone a little harsh. He's almost scratchy at times. I'm using this C.D. for my own study of the Brahm's sonatas. As a violist, he does not have the tone that draws me to this instrument. Otherwise, its ok, and not a bad C.D. to have if your studying.

top composition and top players!!! one time i drove th L.A. from S.F., this is only music i have with me, so i listened on the way there and back.

I will admit that this is the only version of the Brahms violin/viola sonatas that I have heard, but I can say with full confidence that it does not get any better than this. The sublime richness of Pinchas Zukerman's tone on both instruments coupled with the playing of Daniel Barenboim, arguably the greatest interpreter of Brahms in the world today, makes for a musical experience that will utterly transport the listener into a world beyond this. Brahms himself would be extremely proud of these two musical luminaries, insightfully and meticulously bringing out all of the subtle nuances in these complex works. If you are looking for Brahms that is not heavy and bombastic but thoroughly enjoyable nonetheless, buy these sonatas - this set. Highlights are the lyrical A major sonata and the darkly passionate D minor sonata (I cannot get enough of the D minor).

THe players when they were young had so much wisdom in their understanding of Brahms. I am very happy to have this recording.

I was especially delighted to discover the viola sonatas. They are a must-listen for any chamber music fan.