Brahms Works for Viola I

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…I found Rysanov's performances of both Sonatas compelling, vivid and packed with moments of great musical insight. The two trio performances are also extremely enjoyable… — BBC Music Magazine, January 2009, 4 out of 5 stars More…

Release Date: 29th Sep 2008
Catalogue No: ONYX4033
Label: Onyx
Length: 2 hours 4 minutes

Gramophone Magazine

January 2009

Editor's Choice

Brahms: Viola Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 120 No. 1

Work length22:36

$4.50

$6.30

Maxim Rysanov, Katya Apekisheva

I. Allegro appassionato

Track length7:52

$1.50

$2.10

II. Andante un poco adagio

Track length5:35

$1.00

$1.40

III. Allegretto grazioso

Track length4:10

$1.00

$1.40

IV. Vivace

Track length4:59

$1.00

$1.40

Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 1 in G major, Op. 78

Work length26:34

$4.50

$6.30

Maxim Rysanov, Katya Apekisheva

I. Vivace ma non troppo

Track length10:33

$1.50

$2.10

II. Adagio

Track length7:56

$1.50

$2.10

III. Allegro molto moderato

Track length8:05

$1.50

$2.10

Brahms: Horn Trio in E flat major, Op. 40

Work length28:17

$5.50

$7.70

Maxim Rysanov, Katya Apekisheva, Boris Brovtsyn

I. Andante - Poco piu animato

Track length7:55

$1.50

$2.10

II. Scherzo: Allegro

Track length7:00

$1.50

$2.10

III. Adagio mesto

Track length7:19

$1.50

$2.10

IV. Finale: Allegro con brio

Track length6:03

$1.00

$1.40

Brahms: Sonata in E-flat major for clarinet / viola and piano, Op. 120, No. 2

Work length21:37

$4.00

$5.60

Maxim Rysanov, Jacob Katsnelson

I. Allegro amabile

Track length8:55

$1.50

$2.10

II. Allegro appassionato

Track length5:01

$1.00

$1.40

III. Andante con moto - Allegro non troppo

Track length7:41

$1.50

$2.10

Brahms: Clarinet Trio in A minor, Op. 114

Work length25:30

$5.00

$7.00

Maxim Rysanov, Jacob Katsnelson, Kristine Blaumane

I. Allegro

Track length8:00

$1.50

$2.10

II. Adagio

Track length8:37

$1.50

$2.10

III. Andantino grazioso

Track length4:14

$1.00

$1.40

IV. Allegro

Track length4:39

$1.00

$1.40

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This exciting release gathers together in one neat package the two late sonatas for which Brahms’ viola versions have become standard repertoire together with two trios for Clarinet and Horn that are more rarely heard for viola but work equally well. For this recording Max also plays the Klengel arrangement of the G Major Violin Sonata (with a few revisions of his own)

Played by one of the world’s most charismatic violists Maxim Rysanov, of whom Yuri Bashmet declared “my rival has arrived!” Remarkably, Max has been awarded Editor’s Choice from Gramophone Magazine for both his recital discs to date, including Kancheli’s Styx and Tavener’s The Myrrh-Bearer on ONYX (ONYX4023) of which the reviewer said “it was a privilege to review”

Maxim is accompanied by several of Russia’s most exciting younger generation of players. Katya Apekisheva for example recently won an Editor’s Choice for her debut CD of Grieg Lyric Pieces, while Kristine Blaumane has recently been appointed principal cellist of the London Philharmonic Orchestra

Max embarks on a major Brahms tour with Katya Apekisheva and others to coincide with this release with many dates in UK and France in November (please see ONYX website Concert Schedule for exact details). His other regular recital partners are Janine Jansen, Julian Rachlin and Mischa Maisky.

Reviews

January 2009

…I found Rysanov's performances of both Sonatas compelling, vivid and packed with moments of great musical insight. The two trio performances are also extremely enjoyable…

2010

Brahms was the first to admit that he hadn't entirely solved the new problems of balance in the works that replace the clarinet with a viola (the clarinet sonatas and the Op 114 Trio). With recording, of course, some help can be given.
The viola is well forward in the performances by Rysanov, and this suits the music's extrovert, eloquent manner. In the First Sonata, in which Rysanov is accompanied by the excellent Katya Apekisheva, the music is more freely phrased, with a humorous sense of the latent waltz in the Allegretto and plenty of vigour in the finale. In the Op 114 Trio, the outside movements benefit from the vivid sense of melodic direction provided by Rysanov and Katsnelson.
The G major Violin Sonata was also written for Joachim, and arranged for viola not by Brahms but by his publisher Simrock's editor Paul Klengel. Transposing it from G down a fourth to D to accommodate the viola loses the music something of its elegance, but this is a persuasive performance. Persuasiveness is also needed in Op 40, which began life as the Horn Trio. Not all the cheerful vigour that Rysanov and Apekisheva provide can make the finale seem anything but a piece of hunting exuberance, but they do splendidly with the Scherzo and the Adagio mesto.

January 2009

In the First Sonata, in which Rysanov is accompanied by the excellent Katya Apekisheva, the music is more freely phrased, with a humorous sense of the latent waltz in the Allegretto and plenty of vigour in the finale. Rysanoc and Jacob Katsnelson are also more effective with the Second Sonata, especially in the agreeably conversational manner they adopt in the final variations, as when the melodic line flows seamlessly between them in the grazioso section.

Brahms Works for Viola I

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