As a young person, I played this piece for my senior recital, and to this day all I can think of what an incredible piano part there was, and what an incredible pianist I had playing it. This is especially apparent in the middle section of the second movement - it is the purest Brahms! Thanks for posting this - it brings back such memories!
This piece brings back the most powerful memories for me. I studied it as a high school student, and then played it for my senior recital. The second movement in particular, with its truly Brahmsian middle section.
JoefromNJ1 I am really enjoying learning the piano parts of both the opus 120 sonatas. I think they are "true duets", and are probably as difficult as anything that I am working on for piano solo!
Absolutely! And I love all the rhythmic intricacies in both sonatas (triple vs. duple, etc.). The clarinet and piano are truly equal partners in both lovely sonatas.
Such a curious work. Always avoiding too obvious developments, and instead displaying a wide variety of textures and mélodic ideas, with minutious details, and superb harmonic writing. An overall tranquil work like a fire under the ashes at the end of the evening, if you accept such a metaphor.
Really excellent. I studied with Leon Russianoff from 1968 until 1982 . He had studied with Daniel Bonade, and was a member of the French school through and through. We didn't listen to German clarinetists. This was a mistake. This man is a beautiful player and so is the accompanist.
Lovely performance by Karl Leister. Very round, rich and textured timbre, an ideal sonority for all clarinetists. Notice how leisurely Leister takes the Allegro amabile first movement. This brings out many Brahmsian contrasts within the movement, and between the first movement and the Allegro appassionato second movement, contrasts that make late Brahms, especially the four clarinet compositions, so ineffable.
I'm sorry but the clarinet version is so dry compared to the viola version. The true emotional quality and expression can only be delivered from a string instrument, in my opinion.
