The two Brahms sonatas for clarinet and piano were written late in the composer's life after he had announced his retirement but then encountered a skilled clarinetist who inspired him to new efforts. They are rich works, both intimate and intricate, and they pose interpretive challenges. There are various ways to approach them, including arch-Romantic and with a deep structural focus. Clarinetist Michael Collins and pianist Stephen Hough adopt neither of these. Collins is a standout in the sheer beauty of his tone, and he ...
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The two Brahms sonatas for clarinet and piano were written late in the composer's life after he had announced his retirement but then encountered a skilled clarinetist who inspired him to new efforts. They are rich works, both intimate and intricate, and they pose interpretive challenges. There are various ways to approach them, including arch-Romantic and with a deep structural focus. Clarinetist Michael Collins and pianist Stephen Hough adopt neither of these. Collins is a standout in the sheer beauty of his tone, and he pares away anything that might distract from that. Some play the slow movements quite passionately, but Collins' readings are straightforward, and Hough reins in his piano to keep the focus on the solo instrument. The sense of complex dialogue is lost, but for smoothness, Collins can't be beat. Another attraction here is a new "clarinet sonata" in the form of Collins' adaptation of the Violin Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 100. There's certainly some justification for this, as Stephen...
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Add this copy of Three Sonatas to cart. $21.80, new condition, Sold by Importcds rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Sunrise, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2021 by BIS.