Classical Music | Violin Music

Recorded on 12/18/2007, uploaded on 01/21/2009

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

Brahms spent the summer of 1886 at Hofstetten bei Brienz on Lake Thun in Switzerland. Invigorated by the company of friends and the young German contralto Hermine Spies, he produced three of his most beloved chamber work in rapid succession—the F major Cello Sonata, the Piano Trio No. 3 in C minor, and the Violin Sonata No. 2 in A major. This latter work, the shortest yet most demanding of Brahms’s three sonatas for the instrument, is a radiant work with a joyful mood that is never dimmed throughout, reflecting the good spirits of the composer during his vacation. Like the previous G major sonata composed nearly a decade earlier, the A major Sonata is predominantly lyrical and draws some of its material from contemporary Lieder. As with his other sonatas, Brahms also officially titled the work “Sonata for Piano and Violin” instead of “Sonata for Violin and Piano.” Brahms’s choice of word order hearkens back to the traditions of Mozart and Beethoven and emphasizes that the piano and violin are equal collaborators, instead of the dominance of a soloist implied by the latter. Interestingly, the sonata is sometimes referred to as the “Meistersinger” Sonata because of the similarity between the first three notes of the first movement and those of “Walther’s Prize Song” from Richard Wagner’s Der Meistersinger. Though Brahms and Wagner were painted as musical rivals, the war between them was largely fought by their supporters and both men admired the other’s music.

Marked with the somewhat unusual indication of Allegro amabile, meaning fast and loveable, the first movement is relaxed and lyrical, beaming with good cheer. The piano takes the initial lead in setting out the movement’s material. The second subject is developed out of a motif taken from the lied Wie Melodien zieht es mir, a song where the poet compares melodies to the scent of flowers. For the sonata’s middle movement, Brahms achieves the semblance of a larger four-movement structure by combining the roles of Adagio and Scherzo in contrasting sections. The opening Andante tranquillo in F major is contrasted against a D minor Vivace. Each is heard twice before the Andante returns for a third time to evenly round out the movement’s form. However, it is the Vivace that has the final say. Finally, a relaxed and graceful Rondo serves as the sonata’s finale.       Joseph DuBose

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Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 2 in A Major, Op. 100              Johannes Brahms

Allegro amabile; Andante tranquillo; Allegretto grazioso

In the summer of 1886, Brahms visited the sunny meadows of Switzerland to relax and compose.  Motivated by the recent Vienna performance of his first Sonata for Piano and Cello, Brahms found inspiration and composed five other chamber music works simultaneously-the second Sonata for Piano and Cello, the second and third sonatas for Piano and Violin, the third Piano Trio, and the Double Concerto for Violin and Cello.

The Sonata in A Major is charcterized by gracious melodies.  The score is marked with Brahms' constant reminders to the performers: "dolce" (sweet), "tenerament" (tenderly), "espressivo" (expressive), and "sempre dolce" (always sweet).  More importantly, the tempo indication for the first movement clearly identifies the primary mood Brahms wished to project: "Allegro amabile" (lively and cheerful [and with] love).  The middle movement alternates between the serene "Andante" (at a walking pace) written in F Major with duple meter and the folk-like "Vivace" (very lively) written in d minor with triple meter.  The finale, "Allegretto grazioso" (a little lively [and] graceful), is a rondo suggesting a mood that is gentle, not driving.  The violin has the stirring main theme, which stays entirely on the G-string, exhibiting a quality of self-assurance as it dominates and carries the glorious music to a close.      Yang Xu

Courtesy of International Music Foundation.