The two late violin sonatas of
Robert Schumann hint toward the urgency and unrest already well underway in the composer's deteriorating mental stability. Both in minor keys, the two sonatas are filled with dichotomies such as tumult and serenity, and grandeur and simplicity. The A minor Sonata, though a relatively short work, was completed in barely a week.
Schumann was not satisfied with the work and got underway on the D minor Sonata, a work on a more complex, grand scale. Performing these two sophisticated sonatas along with the Op. 94 Romances is violinist
Stéphanie-Marie Degand and pianist Olivier Peyrebrune. One of the most interesting aspects of this recording is the piano itself, a beautifully restored 1883 Steinway & Sons. The veteran piano produces a much gentler, rounder attack than more modern piano while maintaining the overall richness in tone.
Degand, perhaps to contrast the softer attack from the piano, plays with a very edgy, crisp attack through much of the album. At times, this more aggressive approach is successful in providing the music with a drive and forward momentum. Other times, however, it's simply too much; the opening chords of the D minor Sonata, for example, are crunched and fail to resonate. Overall, though, the unique sound of the 1883 Steinway plus
Degand's vivacious approach produce an enjoyable interpretation of these sonatas that is worth checking out.