Brahms violin sonatas and his pessimism

The 3 violin sonatas by Brahms have been my favorite since the university days. Recently,

I have been listening to a CD of those sonatas at night again. It takes almost an hour. But whenever I do it, I feel it is worth spending time with it.

They are a real achievement in that genre in the late romantic era. The duo of violin and piano go side by side. One of the most prominent characteristics of this work is that Brahms comes up to us and whispers an intimate idea inward to our ears. I am moved by that close feeling brought about in mind. This might be a common characteristic in his chamber music.

Those sonatas were composed in the mid to late term of his life. It's still hued with the lonliness or even the desolation. Just listen to the 3rd movement of the 1st sonata or whole the 3rd sonata, which I believe this character is most clearly demonstrated. Resisting to it with passion even though it is destined to fail. It won't give us any resolution but sure sounds like companion whispering to me in my ear.

The CD is a rendition by Hetzel, the violinist, and Deutsche, the pianist, recorded in 1992. Hetzel was the concert master of Vienna Philharmonic, one of the most famous and prestigious orchestra in the world. Unfortunately, however, in a few months after this recording, he has died due to an accident while climbing mountains. He was only 52 years of age, too young to die. This tragedy has made this recording even more precious to me. Has he guarded his hands while falling off a cliff?

The desolated feeling is able to be heard in the other music composed by Brahms throughout his life. Most remarkable in the latest years of his life like the famous clarinet quintet. However, he seemed to be liable to that kind of pessimism from his young days. The last movement of his 3rd piano quartet is such an example. When I listened to his 1st violin sonata named Riegenlied sonata after his lied, I was reminded of that piano quartet.

I have enjoyed playing that particular movement with friends in the university days. An old upright piano was set at a classroom in tiers exposed to the western sunlght through the window. Around the pianist, there were 3 string players. At that time, the melody in the beginning accompanied with same figure sounded a kind of pessimism to me. I remembered of that when I started to listen the 3rd movement of the 1st sonata, all after half a century interval.  I could not help wondering how those friends are doing now.

So that is the story of remembrance of Brahms and re-encounter to the same music.