Johannes Brahms: The Violin Sonatas (Remastered) Peter Csaba & Jean-François Heisser

• Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897): Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Major, Op. 78:
• 1 Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Major, Op. 78: I. Vivace ma non troppo 10:47
• 2 Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Major, Op. 78: II. Adagio 07:47
• 3 Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Major, Op. 78: III. Allegro molto moderato 08:32
• Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 100:
• 4 Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 100: I. Allegro amabile 08:31
• 5 Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 100: II. Andante tranquillo - Vivace - Andante - Vivace di più - Andante - Vivace 06:27
• 6 Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 100: III. Allegretto grazioso (quasi Andante) 05:25
• Violin Sonata No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 108:
• 7 Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 108: I. Allegro 07:54
• 8 Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 108: II. Adagio 04:51
• 9 Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 108: III. Un poco presto e con sentimento 02:50
• 10 Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 108: IV. Presto agitato 05:56
• Total Runtime 01:09:00

Info for Johannes Brahms: The Violin Sonatas (Remastered)

The Sonata Trilogy that Brahms, written in full maturity, has become the reference in this so particular form of dialogue called “romantic sonata”, each of the three having its own sentimental mood. The first, using the theme from the "Regenlied", has obviously for model Beethoven's last sonata for violin and piano, opus 96. The second let break a warmer intimism, a sort of tribute written "in the wait of a girlfriend", the young soprano Hermine Spies. The third is written with a much stronger ink : this concertante sonata has a vehemence and a surprising greatness which, this time, exceed the beethovenian model, the Kreutzer Sonata.

"These three sonatas are such radiant masterpieces - really, only Ravel's and the Beethoven 10 equal them in my opinion - that they are essential listening for chamber music afficiandos. The openings of the 1st. and 3rd. seem to float magically into your room, though the 3rd. soon builds up a head of steam, beng the most dramatic of the three. The playing in the 3rd. is fairly personalized with tiny, agogic hesitations/fluctuations in the violin line in the opening movement, but apart from that performances are full of that special Brahmsian glow. The sound is also excellent with some minor reservations. The violin is anchored solely in the left speaker with the piano behind and in the centre and right speakers. In general the piano is a fiendishly difficult instrument to record and here sounds slighlty veiled, though is it full-bodied. My current chamber reference is the Channel Classics Beethoven cello sonatas - this disc doesn't hit those lofty heights, though to be fair it is not far behind. Highly recommended!"

Peter Csaba, violin
Jean-François Heisser, piano

Digitally remastered

Peter Csaba
was born in 1952 in Roumania (Cluj) in a family of Hungarian musicians.

He started studies of violin, composing and conducting in his home town and later in Bucharest at C. Porumbescu Conservatory of Music. Among his professors were Peter Zsurka and George Manoliu for violin, Ede Terényi for composing and conducting.

Prize-winner of several national and international competitions, namely the Competition Niccolo Paganini in Genova, he started a successful international career with intensive tours in Europe and in Asia including several recordings for radio, television and international record companies.

He has lived in France since 1983, and became a professor at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique (CNSMD) in Lyon, super-soloist at the Lyon Opera House and the Orchestre National de Lyon, orchestras he often conducted.

From 1995 until 2010, he was the Artistic Director of the Besançon Symphony Orchestra (France).

From 1993 to 2002, Péter Csaba was Artistic Director and Chief Conductor in Sweden of the Musica Vitae Chamber Orchestra and Artistic Leader of the Euro Musica Vitae Festival which he created for European young talents. In 1986, he founded the Virtuosi di Kuhmo chamber orchestra in Finland. Several recordings and concert tours testify to this dynamic artistic period. He also acted as Artistic Director of the Lapland Festpiel (Sweden) and in 2000 as Artistic Director of the Kuhmo Festival in Finland.

His chamber music partners were among many others Oleg Kagan, Natalia Gutman, Krystian Zimerman, Maria Tipo, Vladimir Mendelssohn, Peter Frankl, Franz Helmerson, Tabea Zimmermann, Gary Hoffman, Paul Neubauer, Ralf Gothoni, Zoltán Kocsis, Miklós Perényi, J-F Heisser, Dezsö Ránki, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Steven Isserliss, Bella Davidovich.

His wish to help young musicians develop their talent and skills became a reality at CNSMD in Lyon when he accepted the responsibility of the orchestra class in 1996.

He was director of the Maurice Ravel Academy in Saint-Jean de Luz (France) and since 2001 he is Artistic Director of Encuentro de Musica y Academia in Santander (Spain), allowing him to provide a wonderful opportunity for young musicians to meet and perform together with world famous artists in more than 60 concerts.

Péter CSABA has given concerts in more than 60 countries and conducted orchestras, such as Helskinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Finlandia Sinfonietta, Lyon Opera Orchestra, Lyon National Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (England), Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Bordeaux National Symphony Orchestra, Lille National Orchestra, Montpellier National Orchestra, Orchestre d’Auvergne, Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, Turku Symphony Orchestra, Budapest MÁV Symphony Orchestra, Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra, Odense Symphonic Orchestra, Lisbonne Metropolitana Orchestra, Orchestra Symphonica Siciliana in Palermo, RIAS Orchestra Berlin, Kyushu Symphony Orchestra Fukuoka (Japan), Geidai Phylharmonic Orchestra, Toho Symphony Orchestra (Tokyo), Stockholm New Chamber Orchestra, Norfolk Festival Orchestra (USA), Berkeley Symphony Orchestra (USA), National Orchestra of Lithuania, Orchestra Freixenet de la Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía de Madrid, National Orchestra of South Africa (Pretoria), Haifa Symphony Orchestra, Navarra Symphony Orchestra (Spain), Granada Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia Varsovia, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra….

Many renowned soloist have performed under his baton: Pierre Fournier, Dimitri Bashkirov, Natalie Gutman, Peter Frankl, Neil Mackie, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, James Galway, J-J. Kantorow, Zachar Bron, Hansjörg Schellenberger, Radovan Vlatkovic, Anne Queffélec, Brigitte Engerer, Régis Pasquier, Håkan Hardenberger, Cristian Lindberg, Roland Pöntinen, Akiko Suwanai, Thomas Zehetmair, György Pauk, Isabel van Keulen, Zoltán Kocsis, Miklós Perényi, Boris Berezovsky, Nicolai Lugansky, David Guerrier, Jean-François Heisser.

Peter Csaba closely collaborated with great composers as Alfred Schnittke, Sofia Gubaidulina, Gilbert Amy, Eric Bergman, Bruno Mantovani, Pascal Dusapin, Xavier Montsalvatge, Kaja Saariaho, Ede Terényi, György Kurtág, Edith Canat de Chizy, Betsy Jolas, Henri Dutilleux.

For his remarquable contribution to development of Swedish musical life and the quality of his artistic work with the Musica Vitae Orchestra he was unanimously elected in 2002 member of the Royal Academy of Sweden and received the prestigious Spelmanen Prize.

Peter Csaba recorded for Ondine, Hungaroton, Bis, Praga, Harmonia Mundi, Caprice and other companies. His CD with works by Sibelius, recorded with the Virtuosi di Kuhmo, was chosen by the American public radios the best classical record of the year 1995 in the USA. His recording of Shostakovich's Chamber Symphony is considered by musical critics as one of the best ever made of this piece.

Peter Csaba takes up the position of Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the MÁV Symphony Orchestra Budapest (Hungary) from September 2012.

Booklet for Johannes Brahms: The Violin Sonatas (Remastered)