Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) wrote the Sonatas for Piano and Violin at the height of his musical career as a pianist, composer, and conductor. When he wrote these three sonatas, Brahms had achieved acclaim beyond Germany and Austria. The pieces highlight one period of Brahms’s progression as a composer, rather than the arc of musical career.
The Sonata No. 1 in G major, Op. 78, “Regensonate” (“Rain Sonata”) was written from 1878 to 1879 and first performed in Bonn. This three-movement sonata is unified throughout by two motifs from Brahms’s lieder, “Regenlied” and “Nachklang,” Op. 59, using a cyclic form. By quoting his own melodies, both of which reference rain, Brahms was able to intentionally extend the narrative of these songs without reciting the poetry. In this sonata the violin is treated as the more expressive solo voice with the piano serving as the accompaniment.
Brahms’s Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 100 was written in 1886 when he summered in Thun, Switzerland. He formally acknowledged the independence and importance of both the piano and violin in this piece, by stating that the work was a “Sonata for Piano and Violin.” The equality of the accompaniment became common in the nineteenth century as composers were writing for the piano as a second voice, rather than as accompaniment. This sonata also uses a three-movement structure. Like Sonata No. 1, Brahms references his vocal music “Wie Melodien zieht es mir leise durch den Sinn,” “Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer,” and “Auf dem Kirchhofe” (Op. 105), which were all written during the same summer with the contralto, Hermine Spies, serving as inspiration. Brahms also includes a quotation of his song, “Meine liebe ist grün” (Op. 63), a setting with poetry written by Felix Schumann (1854–1879), the son of Robert and Clara Schumann. By citing these four works, Brahms shares his own music, but also celebrates artists who inspired him musically.
The last sonata, Sonata for Piano and Violin No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108 was composed between 1886 and 1888 and dedicated to Hans von Bülow (1830–1894), a virtuoso pianist, composer, and conductor. Unlike the earlier two sonatas, this piece is written in a four-movement, symphonic structure. The first movement, in sonata-allegro form, begins with two divergent themes echoed by both the violin and piano, as they play in an antagonistic style, again reinforcing the independence of the two voices. By contrast from the emotive inner movements, the fourth movement is the most virtuosic and begins with a tarantella-like style that eventually ends in a frenzied conflict between the piano and violin.
The first two sonatas, with their quotations of Brahms’s vocal music, both exhibit a lyrical style. As Brahms was comfortable writing vocal music from lieder for a soloist to large-scale choral works, these pieces reflect a blend of his vocal and chamber music styles. The third sonata is not overtly self-referential nor does it imitate his vocal musical style. Instead, it relies on a more symphonic and orchestral influence that honors the strengths and limitations of the instruments.
Program notes written by Meredith C. Graham