Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Viola Trio in A minor Op 114 (1891) [25:05]
Viola Sonata No.1 in F minor Op 120 (1894) [23:37]
Viola Sonata No.2 in E flat major Op 120 (1894) [22:10]
Miguel da Silva (viola) Xavier Phillips (cello) François-Frédéric Guy
(piano)
rec. December 2019, Arsenal de Metz, France
Reviewed as downloaded from press preview
ALPHA 648
[70:54]
In lieu of a programme note, this new release gives us an interesting
interview with the performers. Most of the discussion centres on the
implications of performing this repertoire on the viola rather than the
clarinet for which the music was written. Toward the end, the cellist,
Xavier Phillips, comments that their goal was “to play in a perpetual state
of listening to the others”. Obviously every performer says something like
this but my sense of this disc is that the performers do precisely what
they say. This is very much a chamber music approach to the sonatas rather
than a recital by a star soloist. Not a great surprise given that all three
musicians have a distinguished pedigree in chamber music, with Da Silva
himself being a former member of the Quatuor Ysaÿe.
The substitution of viola for clarinet makes a surprising difference in all
three of these works. As the performers note in their interview, the two
string players are required to blend where clarinet and cello remain
distinct. The risk of this is the absence of the distinctive clarinet sound
leading the melodic line. Da Silva has a distinctively bright sound which
goes some way to solving this issue. That is, of course, if it is in fact
an issue at all. I found the less showy approach on this recording more
attractive than many a big-name recording.
The lovely Allegro amabile which opens the E flat Sonata is as good a place
as any to put this new recording toe to toe with its rivals. I started with
the venerable William Primrose with the ultimate in luxury casting as
accompanist, Rudolf Firkušný (currently on Urania RM11927 from 2004). This
is a real star turn. Primrose performs the sonatas like they were concertos
aided by a recording which, though excellent for its age, thrusts the
soloist right to the front of the sound picture with his illustrious
partner left very much in the shadows.
Maxim Rysanov in 2011 on Onyx (ONYX4033: Recording of the Month –
review
–
review)
follows this approach in a highly dramatic reading. Like a lot of modern
performers, his tone is light and rather violin like in character. It was
nice to turn to Zukerman on DG 4531212 (2 CDs, budget price, download only)
from 1975 where we get lashings of lovely creamy viola tone. I enjoyed
Zukerman’s more steady approach a lot but, surprisingly, he is rather let
down by his star partner, Daniel Barenboim, who sounds like he is
trying to turn the solo part into Brahms’ third piano concerto. Too often
he sounds either a bit ham fisted or as if he is sight reading his part. He
isn’t helped by hard edged piano sound that does sound its age. As I said
previously, Da Silva’s tone is on the brighter, cleaner side. He plays this
movement in a pleasing natural way which understands that the real drama is
the detail and not big rhetorical gestures. This is music making that draws
the listener in rather than grabbing them by the ears.
Turning to the second movement of the E flat sonata, Da Silva’s
accompanist, Guy, gives us full rich sound in his answering statement of
the main theme. Too many of his rivals are just loud. Guy is helped by a
sensible and well-balanced approach to microphone placing. In my
experience, more pianists fail to make the grade with Brahms’ late piano
music than succeed. All the music on this CD requires a true Brahms pianist
and not just an accompanist. Guy understands that in this music pushing
less delivers more.
The slow movement of the F minor sonata exemplifies all of these qualities
and has a truly inward quality that I found magical. Unlike Rachel Roberts
with Lars Vogt on Avi from 2011 (AVI8553181) there is no fussy varying of
tonal effects, just an intense communion between the performers. I don’t
know any recording, on clarinet or viola, that goes so far into the world
of this music.
The fame of the Clarinet Quintet notwithstanding, I have always felt that
the Trio is the finest of the four works written after Brahms was inspired
to come out of retirement by the clarinet playing of Richard Mühlfeld. It
may lack the immediate appeal of the Quintet but I feel that its structural
concision marks it out as one of the composer’s best works. Da Silva and
his companions have the full measure of this music. As with the slow
movements of the sonatas, they bring a most attractive sense of stillness
and intimacy to the music. Others whip up more excitement in the finale
but, in their quieter way, this is just as satisfying and, in many ways,
more in keeping with the stoic attitude typical of late Brahms. The two
string players complement each other perfectly and Guy marks himself out
again as a Brahmsian of great distinction.
All things considered, this is a highly persuasive disc of very fine
chamber music making. I did not think that I could be shaken from
preferring the clarinet versions of these works, but Da Silva and friends
make the strongest possible case for the viola alternatives and I find
myself wavering. I will certainly be returning to these performances of
great nobility, poetry and insight.
David McDade
