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05/01/2026
Johannes Brahms: F. A. E. Sonata: III. “Scherzo” (arr. for viola and piano) – Clarinet Trio, opus 114 (vers. for viola, cello and piano)
Robert Schumann: Three Romances, opus 94 (arr. for viola and piano)
Clara Schumann: Three Romances, opus 22 (arr. for viola and piano)
Joseph Joachim: Hebrew Melodies for Viola and Piano, opus 9
Tabea Zimmermann (viola), Jean-Guihen Queyras (cello), Javier Perianes (piano)
Recording: Kulturstiftung Schloss Britz, Berlin, Germany (September 14‑17, 2025) – 73’28
harmonia mundi HMM902789 (Distributed by [Integral]) – Booklet in French, English and German
 
There are many little surprises in a new album of Romantic‑era music that crossed my desk this month. Here are nearly 80 minutes of beautifully performed music, including selections many collectors may have overlooked. And to add to the element of surprise, most of the selections substitute the viola for more familiar instruments.
The theme of this collection is the circle of friendship enjoyed by several musical luminaries of the 19th century and how the viola can help us enjoy this music in a revelatory way. I had the pleasure of listening to this collection mere days before watching a Brahms‑centered episode of Now Hear This (Great Performances/Public Broadcasting System in the U.S.). A delightful surprise in both was the inclusion of anecdotes around and music from the F.A.E. Sonata, a work dating to 1853. Movements were contributed by Albert Dietrich, a student of Robert Schumann (first movement), Robert Schumann (second and fourth), and Brahms (third), heard here. Brahms’s contribution is stormy and forlorn, an appropriately dreamy conclusion to the work. By the way, “F.A.E.” stands for frei aber einsam, translated as “free but lonely”, a personal motto of the violinist Joaquim, also a member of the Brahms/Schumann set. In addition, Joachim is the composer of the lackluster Hebrew Melodies in this collection, but is less remembered as a composer and more so as one of the great 19th century violinists.
I greatly enjoyed two groups of Romances on this album, one by Robert Schumann and one by his wife, the great pianist now being discovered as a formidable composer, Clara Schumann. Both groups expressed a passionate Romantic spirit. Were the composers’ identities concealed, I would dare any listener to rank any single Romance as more musical than the other.
Probably the biggest small surprise on this album was the sleek manner in which the viola substituted for other instruments. Gone is the woodsy clarinet of the Opus 114 Trio, that instrument’s earthy tones transformed into something silky and sublime by violist Tabea Zimmermann. Throughout this album, we don’t miss the warbling cry of soprano instruments, yet neither are we plunged into gloom. The four movements of this trio (viola, cello, and piano) are feast enough for ears and spirits aching for transformation. Realigning our listening skills while listening to Brahms is, after all, not an unfamiliar practice, thanks to the transcriptions of the viola/clarinet sonatas, a chamber concert staple.
I love the way the various melodic lines sashay in and out, back and forth among each other, each expression polished and shining like a new nickel (pennies having been banished in the U.S.).Whether for the performances of Zimmermann, Jean‑Guihen Queyras (cello), and Javier Perianes (piano), tenderly supported by a well‑engineered recording, or for the glorious treasure of Brahms’ chamber music, this is a recording not to miss. And catch the aforementioned PBS program for even more delicious anecdotes and history that keep our interest in these complex historical characters and their music alive and relevant to today’s listeners.
Linda Holt
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