1 Brahms - Sonata in f minor, Op.120 No.1

1. Allegro appassionato.

Nicolò Eugelmi, viola
Libby Yu, piano

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Brahms
• Viola
• Sonata
• Op.120 No.1
• Nicolo
• Eugelmi
• Libby
• Yu

[NicoloEugelmi001]

I've played with Danilo many times. It's nice to see him here!

[NicoloEugelmi001]

Dear all,

The secret to playing the Brahms Sonatas, whether on viola or clarinet (and YES, they are both beautiful in differing ways), is pacing and tone color. Otherwise, they're not worth listening to on either instrument. I've heard some beautiful interpretations on clarinet. The point here is about making music, not which instrument is superior in some subjective sense.

[mikecasson]

Children, children. Stop fighting.

Instruments are different, that is why we don't all play the same thing. Brahms was fully aware of the capabilities of the clarinet and the viola. Apparently he felt they were equals, just different-maybe everyone else should re-frame his or her thinking. . .

I am a clarinetist, btw, but I fully appreciate the viola versions. I think clarinetists can learn a great deal from string players and vice-versa.

[pegasox1]

wonderful...

[xxenchicheng]

wow! Amazing! Warm sound~~

[humbertsin1994]

i play both clarinet and viola!! both are wonderful instruments

[senshigeia]

And also, Brahms dedicated both Sonatas op. 120 to Richard Mühlfeld, a very famous clarinetist in the late 19th century, so as far to what comes first, I would say Brahms initially thought of the clarinet for this piece. But it is not the first clarinet work to be played with other instruments: take Schumann's Fantasiest]uke, for instance, it is for clarinet or cello. And there's nothing wrong with that, I think... The composer himself says his work can be played in both instruments.

[senshigeia]

I'm a clarinetist and might I say I prefer this version to any of the recordings on youtube with a clarinet. It's a good interpretation of this piece, despite the instrument itself. Congratulations to the violist and also the pianist!

[catnip4life55]

@mikecasson As well do I as a violist appreciate the Clarinet version, regardless they are both beautiful pieces, and us as violist can learn so much from the clarinet version because we actually play both.

[AbsoluteZ3R0]

@mikecasson Also, the first defintion from dictionary(dot)com for lush is "luxuriant; succulent; tender and juicy." I'm sorry, but I've never heard a clarinetist sound that way. Sure the instrument has a pretty sound, but the term lush is a lot more descriptive of a cello, the g-string of a violin, or even a warm-sounding trombone. Generally, it is also applicable to certain types of harmonies, but a clarinet? Come on...