J. Brahms (1833-1897): the Sonatas for violin and piano

In my opinion, Johannes Brahms belongs, along with other illustrious composers such
as Mozart, J. Strauss, Bruckner, Mahler, and R. Strauss, to the family of great
"Alpine" composers — those whose music prominently evokes a call to the
mountains, so beautifully expressed in their skillful use of the noble horn. Indeed, the
towering heights and lofty nature of the mountains, with their silent grandeur, inspire
contemplation and introspection, as man is drawn closer to the heavens, and thus to
God. But it is not only in the mountains; in water, and in the horizontal, distant view,
artists of all eras have found great inspiration. Thus, these sonatas all came into being
on the shores of an Alpine lake.

The First Sonata, Op. 78, was composed between 1878 and 1879 in Pörtschach, on
Lake Wörthersee in Carinthia, a lovely vacation spot where Brahms also wrote his
Second Symphony in 1877. The work opens with a serene beginning: Vivace ma non
troppo, mezza voce. After a central disturbance, the spirit of joy returns at the close.
Here, in the reprise of the second movement, Adagio, a pair of Alpine horns, echoed
by the violin’s thirds, take up the meditative opening theme with greater warmth. The
third movement, Allegro molto moderato, has the sonata nicknamed “Regensonate”,
as the main theme derives from Brahms's own "Regenlied" (Rain Lied). Here, the
piano and violin evoke drops falling gently, without any notable change — except in
the central part.
The Second (1886) and Third (1886-88) Sonatas were composed later on the shores of
Lake Thun in the Canton of Bern, a region beloved by Brahms and a fertile source for
equally inspired works, such as the Cello Sonata No. 2, Op. 99, and the Piano Trio
No. 3, Op. 101.

The Second Sonata opens with a solo piano in an amiable Allegro. This friendly
character permeates the entire work, as the second and third movements are likewise
filled with a tender sweetness. The second movement, Andante tranquillo, begins with
a calm, almost moving theme, which is occasionally interrupted by more rustic Vivace
sections — the second time with a "di più&quot" marking. In the key of A major, as in the
first movement, the Allegretto grazioso (almost Andante) closes with a finale full of
hope.
In the Third Sonata, Op. 108, which begins with an Allegro, the mood shifts to one of
restlessness, except for the famous Adagio, where the soul relaxes into an intimate,
placid, sometimes yearning melody. The third movement, Un poco presto e con
sentimento, explores this emotional depth, while in the final movement, Presto
agitato, turmoil predominates, culminating in a swirling, minor-key conclusion.

In this way, Brahms, who had studied Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, and who
"undoubtedly was and remains an admirable architect of music" concludes "the
grandiose parable of German musical romanticism" in a decidedly conservative spirit,
with a "harmonic language that remains controlled and strictly within traditional
boundaries".¹
Deeply romantic in its intimacy, his music embodies a century in which
man was increasingly overwhelmed by his emotions, which, as always, find their
most powerful expression in Music.
 

Paolo Tagliamento
 

¹ Giacomo Manzoni, Guida all'ascolto della musica sinfonica, Feltrinelli, Milan 1967,
"J. Brahms," p. 75-76.