Brahms’ Violin Sonata No.3 in D minor, Op. 108, is a dramatic work; its demeanor is at times audacious and spectacular, and at other times somber and heart-wrenching. The violin bursts in at the top of the first movement Allegro, almost as if we are joining a work already in progress. What we hear in the opening is the material out of which the entire movement is meticulously crafted. The Adagio that follows is testament to the violin’s music-making abilities and its almost human ability to sing. The curious third movement (Un poco presto e con sentiment, meaning “Upbeat, and with feeling”) is mercurial; Brahms’ good friend Clara Schumann said this movement was “like a beautiful girl toying with her lover.” The last movement begins with the violinist boldly playing double stops (two notes at once), followed by a sweeter second theme. The music that follows is best summed up by Walter Frisch, who wrote in the Compleat Brahms that “the pent up energies of the preceding movements seem to be fully unleashed.”Notes by Dave Kopplin
Classical Music | Violin Music
Johannes Brahms
Violin Sonata No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108
PlayRecorded on 07/23/2014, uploaded on 02/09/2015
Musician's or Publisher's Notes
Brahms’ Violin Sonata No.3 in D minor, Op. 108, is a dramatic work; its demeanor is at times audacious and spectacular, and at other times somber and heart-wrenching. The violin bursts in at the top of the first movement Allegro, almost as if we are joining a work already in progress. What we hear in the opening is the material out of which the entire movement is meticulously crafted. The Adagio that follows is testament to the violin’s music-making abilities and its almost human ability to sing. The curious third movement (Un poco presto e con sentiment, meaning “Upbeat, and with feeling”) is mercurial; Brahms’ good friend Clara Schumann said this movement was “like a beautiful girl toying with her lover.” The last movement begins with the violinist boldly playing double stops (two notes at once), followed by a sweeter second theme. The music that follows is best summed up by Walter Frisch, who wrote in the Compleat Brahms that “the pent up energies of the preceding movements seem to be fully unleashed.” Notes by Dave Kopplin
More music by Johannes Brahms
Capriccio in d minor, Op 116, No. 7, from Seven Fantasies
Variations on a Theme by Haydn
Paganini variatons
Capriccio in c-sharp minor, from Eight piano pieces, Op. 76
Intermezzo in E Major, Op. 116, No. 4, from Seven Fantasies
Schicksalslied, Op. 54
Intermezzo in A Major, from Eight piano pieces, Op. 76
Intermezzo in e minor, Op. 116, No. 5, from Seven Fantasies
Intermezzo in b minor, Op. 119, No. 1
Klavierstücke op. 118 - VI. Intermezzo
Performances by same musician(s)
Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Major, M. 8
Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28
Beau Soir
Baal Shem
Sonata for Violin and Piano
Waltz from Cinderella
Rhapsody: Hungarian Tunes
Classical Music for the Internet Era™
Courtesy of International Music Foundation.