Brahms Anderszewski Mullova - Complete Violin Sonatas (10 tracks) +Album Reviews

Among the best available.

doctor_smith | Rowland Heights, CA United States | 12/31/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are a number of excellent recordings of these classic sonatas, but Mullova's are at the top of list. Intensely warm, musical to boot, lovely and rich and balanced in tone and phrasing, and, above all, judicious. Mullova's technique is unparalleled (she's a finer technician than Anne-Sophie Mutter), but it never imposes on her musicality, and all the beauty and subtlety of Brahm's scores are bought out here. Anderszewski, her long-time accompaniest, is also in top form, imaginative, rich in tone, and warm.It's a real pity that many of Mullova's earlier recordings are unavailable or out of print; her solo Bach is the finest I have ever heard (and I own a dozen recordings of the Bach solo violin works and have heard even more), her Tchaikosvky is assured and polished. It's also a pity that she doesn't record as much as some classical "stars" do (a personal decision on her part). Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this as soon as you can, in case it too goes out of print in the future. Your ears and your soul will thank you for it."

Well, I'd like to say her Brahms is 'Way Cool'!

Santa Fe Listener | 10/03/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Is it Okay if I say Viktoria Mullova's Brahms is Cool? And I also think Mullova and Anderszewsky are 'Cool' musicians. Mullova's violin has got something transparent and the melody line is transcendental. Anderszewsky,although less known than Mullova, makes a good music partner as a pianist. His playing is so rich and deep in emotion and detail that it almost mesmerizes me. The Two Cool Musicians are a perfect match. There are other recordings by Mutter , Chung, Zukerman, etc. But I strongly recommend this disc. Mullova is 'TRULY HERSELF' in every piece of music she plays. And she explores areas of emotions and rhythm that were never found by any other artist. She has a great intuition as a musician and this recording shows it all."

A Thoughtful Introspective Duo

Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 12/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For those who only know of Piotr Anderszewski as a piano recitalist, it is reassuring to hear this recording with violinist Viktoria Mullova collaborating on the three Brahms Sonatas for Violin and Piano. Each artist brings to this recital all the fire and intelligence that marks their individual careers and demonstrate how intensely musical they truly are. The lead player here is Brahms and one would have to look far and wide to find artists as sensitive to this composers demands.

The Brahms Sonatas treat each instrument equally. They are conversations in every sense of the word. Anderszewski and Mullova seem extensions of each other, so clear is the communication and the give and take of the musical discourse.

These are beautifully performed works, adding to the recorded repertoire top-notch recordings of some of Johannes Brahms most sensitive chamber works. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, December 05"

Thrilling and insightful, an account beyond reproach

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 12/07/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Although Viktoria Mullova is Russian and Piotr Anderszewski Polish, both have made their reputations by largely avoiding Russian music. Only the very most elite musicians from the Soviet era managed to do that, since the initial expecttation was for a flood of Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, and Prokofiev. That flood arrrived, but so did select artists who had something major to say about Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms. This set of the Brahms Violin Sonatas is a case in point -- it's one of the strongest collaborations in these works since Richter and Oistrakha generation ago (they never officially recorded all three sonatas, either).

Given the musical richness to be found here, it's a shame that Philips, recording in London in 1995, gives us hard, glassy sound that is especially shrill for the violin. The perspective is very close up, and as often happens, the violin is so exaggerated in scale that it's louder than the piano. (This is always a tricky business when recording chamber music for strings and keyboard.)

That aside, these are commanding performances, full of authority and passion. Mullova, ten years senior to Anderszewski, tends to be the dominant personality, and her abilities in Brahms couldn't be improved upo (try her riveting live account of the Brahms violin concerto under Abbado, also on Philips). But both she and Anderszewski accomplish something that elevates any performance of the sonatas: they find endless nuances of mood and tone that keep these works from seeming too uniform. Their version of Sonata No. 1 starts off more energetically than usual, less inclined toward the melancholy of "Regen" (Rain), the song upon which the first movement is based.

Sonata No. 2 in A major is almost Chopinesque in its call for sensitive rubato and flexible phrasing. This duo do wonders there, but they are also expert in contrasting the dramatic struggle of the first movement with the affecting natural simplicity of the slow movement's songful main theme. It's the third sonata, set in the emotionally complex key of D minor, where Brahms adds a fourth movement and expands the rhetoic in scale. I'm glad Mullova and Anderszewski resist the temptation to sound symphonic; they put all their efforts into increased intensity and expression.

Since this totally satisfying recording was released, we've also had acclaimed versions of the Brahms sonatas from Christian Tetzlaff and Sergey Khachatryan. If pushed, I might choose Mullova as the best, but the larger picture is impressive. A younger generaation is building a legacy in the standard repertoire that is already supplanting many old standbys."

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