Recital
Brahms: Tragedy and Passion
Music Room, St James Cavalier
In an evening exclusively dedicated to Johannes Brahms’s music, the trio consisting of Karl Mifsud on viola, Lucie Kucharova on cello and pianist Yoko Misumi per-formed a choice of chamber works by the German composer.
...better dynamic balance between viola and cello would have been desirable in the call-and-response sections- John Anthony Fsadni
The pieces chosen for the programme were indeed characteristic of the dramatic vein which is so typical of Brahms.
The recital opened magnificently with the Scherzo from F.A.E. Sonata (Sonatensatz WoO 2), which was vigorously played by Mr Mifsud. The liveliness of this Scherzo, originally composed for violin, was beautifully rendered by Mr Mifsud.
This was definitely the lightest item of the evening, as the rest of the programme was clearly dominated by Brahms’s more dramatic side.
Ms Kucharova performed Sonata for Cello and Piano in E minor, Opus 38. The pensive mood which pervades the sonata is established in the first movement Allegro non troppo.
Ms Kucharova expressively brought out the sombre quality of the movement. However, the piano’s forte overshadowed some of the subtler passages on the cello.
Both the second movement, Allegretto quasi menuetto, and the final Allegro, are very dramatic, the latter drawing inspiration from Johann Sebastian Bach’s The Art of Fugue.
The next item was the Sonata for Viola and piano in F minor, Opus 120 No. 1. This sonata, one of Brahms’s later works, was originally intended for the clarinet.
The first movement, Allegro appassionato, is in sonata form. In the second movement, Andante un poco adagio, both the viola’s melody and the piano accompaniment take a more lyrical role. As regards the viola, better phrasing and tone quality were desirable in this movement. The third movement, Allegretto grazioso, consists of a gentle Ländler, which was a typical central European folk dance in triple metre and was often employed by German composers.
The cheerful fourth movement in F major relieves the earlier tension of this sonata.
The three musicians joined forces in the second part of the programme, which consisted of Brahms’s Trio in A minor, Opus 114.
The sadness suggested by the title of the recital was evident in this sonata.
This was particularly true of the first movement, ironically designated as Allegro. Haydn’s influence is evident in this movement which makes use of a compositional technique known as inverted canon.
The very lyrical second movement, Adagio, was played very effectively, though better dynamic balance between viola and cello would have been desirable in the call-and-response sections.
Another Ländler appears in the third movement, Andantino grazioso, while the last movement, Allegro, employs the Gypsy style loved by Brahms.
The sonata was performed very well by the trio, whose virtuoso technique was called for throughout this work.
A loud bravo should be given to Ms Misumi, who energetically accompanied the soloists throughout the entire programme.
As an encore, the trio played the sixth Hungarian Rhapsody.
The three musicians effectively engaged themselves in the rhapsody’s contrasting jocularity and severity which is so characteristic of Brahms’s music.