Leonid Kogan is one of the most venerated violinists of the twentieth century. He is known for his lean tone, tight vibrato, and cool and stylistic integrity, all qualities he brings to these readings of the three
Brahms violin sonatas.
Brahms was a traditionalist, and thus it is no wonder that he was attracted to the sonata format. But, as with his symphonies, he did not tackle these works until well into his compositional career. The first sonata, Op. 78, composed in 1878, is titled the Regenlied sonata because the Regenlied theme in its third movement was derived from an earlier and unrelated song
Brahms had written.
The second, Op. 100, which contains many quotations from
Brahms' songs, and the third, Op. 108, are called the Thun sonatas because they were written while
Brahms was at Lake Thun and are contemporaneous with his two clarinet sonatas. All three sonatas display
Brahms' love of thematic and harmonic variation.
These performances are from the mid-'50s and the quality of sound is representative of that era. However, that should not deter the listener. These are fine performances and that factor should carry the day. They convey the works' power and nobility.
Kogan is a violinist with a pure tone and absolute technique and performs these mature works with a cool and controlled temperament. Pianist Andrei Mytnik is a compatible complement to
Kogan's admirable musicmaking. As a bonus to this fine disc of the complete
Brahms violin sonatas,
Kogan and Mytnik sparklingly perform selected
Brahms' Hungarian Dances, also recorded live in the early to mid-'50s.
Kogan plays on a Guarneri del Gesu violin dated 1726.