Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Sonata for Clarinet and Piano in E flat major, Op.120 No. 2 (1895) [21:43]
Sonata for Clarinet and Piano in F minor, Op.120 No.1 (1895) [22:39]
Joseph Gabriel RHEINBERGER (1839-1901)
Sonata for Clarinet and Piano Op.105a (1893) [21:14]
Lars Wouters van den Oudenweijer (clarinet), Hans Eijsackers (piano)
rec. June 2010, FWL Studios, Leipzig
CHALLENGE CLASSICS CC72505 [65:43]
Clarinetist Lars Wouters van den Oudenweijer and pianist Hans Eijsackers present
a well-conceived program. The main course consists of two sonatas by Brahms,
in very fine readings. For dessert, the curious and adventurous get the bonus
of a sonata by Rheinberger. It is fairly conservative and lacks the musical
freedom of Brahms. Still, it is something that you might consider, even if
you already have recordings of the Brahms.
Brahms certainly knew what he wanted when he ordered the two sonatas inside
his Op.120. The musicians here decided to invert the order, and I must say
it works both ways. The festive finale of the First serves as a perfect
exclamation mark. The Second Sonata is more evenly sunny and amiable,
more compact and unified in mood. Its first movement is dreamy and very melodic,
airy and fragrant. The ensuing passionate Scherzo frames a solid, confident
Trio, where the piano sounds quite organ-like. The last movement, a slow-movement-and-finale-in-one,
is composed as a set of variations. Brahms was a great master of this form.
The music passes through grandiose and intimate pages, gradually building
to a jubilant ending.
The First Sonata starts amid somber hues. The opening movement is dramatic
and tempestuous – practically the archetypal Romantic Allegro. The
slow movement flows with serene beauty, much like its equivalent in the Clarinet
Quintet. It is all milk and honey – sensual and tender. This is followed
by the Allegretto grazioso, an elegant waltz, sweet and sunny, which
embraces a more lyrical Trio section. The finale is vigorous and happy.
If Joseph Gabriel Rheinberger is remembered today, it is mostly due to his
numerous compositions for organ. Yet he wrote a lot of other music, much of
it for various chamber combinations. His Clarinet Sonata starts in
a promising way, almost Schumanesque. Then the composer dives into a rather
academic process of building a musical structure. Brahms was inspired; his
clarinet sonatas may contain a lot of typical Brahms, but they are definitely
far from the typical clarinet sonatas. Rheinberger seems more the artisan
in comparison.
The first movement starts with melancholy and longing. It has a certain balletic
air – or maybe I just imagine this due to its main theme’s resemblance to
the opening theme of Swan Lake. The music sports dramatic outbursts
and lyrical cease-fires. It grew on me after several hearings. Still, I have
this feeling of a badly tailored costume: too tight here, too free there,
and not comfortable overall. The middle movement is not slow: Andante molto,
with an animated narrative of the clarinet over fast rolling waves of the
piano. The arrangement is rather uniform and unadventurous. The finale is
pretty operatic, with some bravura passages and hard pressure. Counterpoint
plays an important role.
Lars Wouters van den Oudenweijer shows good control of the instrument. He
has excellent legato, and can be very soft when needed. This helps
to create an autumnal aura in the Brahms. In Rheinberger, the clarinet sound
is often shrill. This can partially be explained by the general high tessitura,
but I feel that the clarinet sound is generally less polished in this piece.
The musicians demonstrate good coordination and balance. Their tempi and dynamics
are superbly judged; they are never in a rush.
The main shortcoming of this disc is the piano sound. There seems to be nothing
wrong with the playing of Hans Eijsackers, per se. However the recorded
sound of the piano, especially in the low register, is hollow and weak. There
is a “stomping” effect which leads to the accompaniment being ragged; not
very terrible, but certainly noticeable. I can’t say whether this is the fault
of the instrument or of the recording engineering.
Aart van der Wal provides a very interesting essay for the booklet. It tells
us more about the composers and the music than you’ll find in the average
liner-note, and also gives you food for thought.
Summarizing, I have really warm feelings towards this disc, but I can’t really
say it’s gold. There exist versions of the Brahms that aren’t worse but have
better piano sound. As for the Rheinberger, it is quite forgettable. Still,
I feel that the musicians reached to the strings of my soul. And that’s what
it all is about, isn’t it?
Oleg Ledeniov
The shortcoming of this disc is the piano sound.