布拉姆斯:三首奏鳴曲(第一號作品120-1/第二號作品120-2/第二號作品100,改編小提琴奏鳴曲)
麥可．柯林斯 單簧管
史帝芬．賀夫 鋼琴
Friends of long standing as well as regular partners in chamber music, Michael Collins and Stephen Hough bring their combined musical insights and expertise to bear on Johannes Brahms's sonatas for clarinet and piano. Together with the composer's trio for clarinet, cello and piano and clarinet quintet, the sonatas are among the most treasured works in the repertoire of the instrument – but it is partly down to good luck that we have them at all. When Brahms in 1891 heard the clarinettist Richard Muhlfeld, principal clarinet of the Meiningen Court Orchestra, he had already announced his retirement. He was enraptured by Muhlfeld's playing and its vocal qualities, however, and made a 'comeback': during the following couple of years he composed all four of his clarinet works.
These were written especially for Muhlfeld, whose spirit does seem to pervade the two sonatas – we hear an unusually sunny and lyrical Brahms, with plenty of opportunity to sing for both instruments. When the sonatas were published, they appeared with alternative viola parts to replace the clarinet, and soon violin versions prepared by the composer were also brought out. For the opening work on the disc, Michael Collins has therefore taken a leaf out of Brahms's book, by adapting the composer's Violin Sonata No. 2, another late work. The amount of adaptation needed is small: a lot of the violin writing fits the clarinet well, and the sonata share much of the songlike quality of the two 'real' clarinet sonatas.
Johannes Brahms (1833—97)
Sonata No. 2 in A major for violin and piano 19'33
Op. 100, adapted for the clarinet by Michael Collins
1 ) I. Allegro amabile 8'05
2 ) II. Andante tranquillo — Vivace — Andante 5'54
3 ) III. Allegretto grazioso (quasi Andante) 5'25
Sonata No. 1 in F minor for clarinet and piano 21'58
Op. 120 No. 1
4 ) I. Allegro appassionato 7'43
5 ) II. Andante un poco adagio 5'07
6 ) III. Allegretto grazioso 4'08
7 ) IV. Vivace 4'47
Sonata No. 2 in E flat major for clarinet and piano 20'58
Op. 120 No. 2
8 ) I. Allegro amabile 8'27
9 ) II. Allegro appassionato 5'17
10 ) III. Andante con moto — Allegro 7'05
TT: 63'22
Michael Collins clarinet · Stephen Hough piano