Brahms - Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Major, Op. 78
I. Vivace ma non troppo
Ania Filochowska (16), violin
Joel Wizansky, piano
Recorded in 2010
www.aniafilochowska.com
JOHANNES BRAHMS
(born 1833 in Hamburg; died 1897 in Vienna)
Sonata Op. 78 (1878-79)
1. Vivace non troppo
2. Adagio
3. Allegro molto moderato
The work of Johannes Brahms epitomizes the central German tradition of the Romantic era. "A genius," according to Robert Schumann, Brahms's works combine a classical style with a Romantic temperament. The effects of his sonorities are extremely varied, ranging from a violent symphonic texture to the delicate whisper in a song.
In his personal life, Brahms was stubborn and reserved as well as loyal and generous. His life-long devotion to the Schumann family is well known; although he remained a bachelor, his attachment to Clara Schumann, Robert's widow, and to their children, was of particular importance to his emotional and musical life.
Brahms composed his Sonata in G Major, Op. 78 shortly after the untimely death of his 24-year-old godson, the violinist and poet Felix Schumann. Although the sonata reflects Brahms's sadness, the overall effect of the work could be described as tender rather than despondent. Upon receiving the completed manuscript, Clara Schumann is quoted as having said, "[I] could not help bursting into tears of joy over it. ... I wish the last movement could accompany me to the next world."
Written in Portschach in southern Austria in the summers of 1878 and 1879, the Sonata in G Major chronologically follows the Violin Concerto, Op. 77, one of the best-loved works in the violin literature. This sonata is reputed to be the composer's third or even possibly the fifth attempt at writing a violin sonata. Brahms had written a "Scherzo" movement in 1853, as a birthday tribute to the violinist Joseph Joachim which became a part of the F.A.E. Sonata. This piece was a joint effort with Schumann and Albert Dietrich. Sometime between then and 1878, Brahms tried composing a number of works for violin and piano, but none has survived.
The Sonata in G Major is a three-movement work containing fragmentary references in the first and last movements to two of Brahms's earlier songs, Regenlied and Nachklang op.59, No.3 and 4, respectively, of 1873. Set to poems by his friend Klaus Groth, they incorporate rain in a symbolic and poetic manner. In the first poem, the rain awakens dreams of childhood, and would "bedew my soul with innocent childish awe" and in the second, raindrops and tears mingle, so that when the sun shines again, "the grass is doubly green: doubly on my cheeks glow my burning tears." This is not to say that this piece is "program" music; however it gives us possible insight into Brahms's psyche, as well as that of the performer and the listener, as the piece unfolds.
The first movement opens mezza voce with both instruments playing with a slightly hushed quality. The violin has the main theme, with the memorable repeated "D"s in a dotted rhythm, which begin the melody.
The rhythmic configuration and pattern is quintessentially Brahmsian, especially in the beginning movement. The strong beats of the violin and the piano hardly seem to line up; of course, when they do finally meet, the impact of the emphasis is that much stronger, and the uneven overlapping lines of the two instruments give an incredible sense of a prolonged phrase.
The initial rhythm of the three dotted notes can be heard sporadically throughout the movement, as well as in the middle part of the second movement, marked Adagio. This section is distinguished by the somber quality of a funeral march, in great contrast to the heart-warming sections that precede and follow it.
In the final movement (notice there is no Scherzo in this work, as would have been traditionally expected in the genre), the three "D"s make an appearance again. With the melody that begins with the dotted rhythm, one hears the accompaniment of quiet running 16th notes, from which the Romantic imagination evokes a gentle flow of water, perhaps of rain or of tears.
Later a theme from the second movement returns, suggesting hopefulness, and eventually leading to the triumphant sounds of happiness. The opening melody is heard again, after which the work comes to a quiet end, with a tender reminiscence of the past.
Notes © 2003 by Midori, OFFICE GOTO Co.Ltd.
![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Bn5Vjv34kSU/maxresdefault.jpg)