Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 2 [David Oistrakh, Sviatoslav Richter]

Renowned Soviet classical musicians, violinist David Oistrakh and pianist Sviatoslav Richter, who are known for the depth of their interpretations, virtuoso technique, and vast repertoire, perform Johannes Brahms’ Violin Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 100 (“Thun” or “Meistersinger”).

David Oistrakh and pianist Sviatoslav Richter, who are known for the depth of their interpretations, virtuoso technique, and vast repertoire, perform Johannes Brahms’ Violin Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 100 (“Thun” or “Meistersinger”).

Johannes Brahms’ Violin Sonata No. 2

Brahms composed Violin Sonata No. 2 while spending the summer of 1886 in Thun, a beautiful touristic city in Bernese Oberland, Switzerland. It is the shortest and is considered the most lyrical of Brahms’s three violin sonatas. It is also considered the most difficult of the three to bring off successfully and to exhibit its balance of lyricism and virtuosity. It maintains a radiant, happy mood throughout.

It was premiered in Vienna on 2 December 1886 by the Austrian violinist, conductor, and composer Joseph Hellmesberger, Sr. (3 November 1828 – 24 October 1893) and Brahms himself at the piano.

Three movements are:

Allegro amabile
Andante tranquillo – Vivace – Andante – Vivace di più – Andante – Vivace
Allegretto grazioso (quasi andante)

Yuja Wang and Leonidas Kavakos perform Johannes Brahms Violin Sonata No. 2

By giving the work the formal title of “Sonata for Piano and Violin”, rather than the more usual “Sonata for Violin and Piano”, Brahms indicated the piano part was just as important as the violin part. In keeping with this, he allowed the piano to announce the opening theme.

The first three notes of the first movement are very similar in both melody and harmony to the first three notes of “Walther’s Prize Song” (Morgenlich leuchtend im rosigen Schein) from Richard Wagner’s opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.

Although they were musical rivals, Brahms was a great admirer of Wagner’s music, but whether this was a deliberate quotation on Brahms’s part is open to speculation. Nevertheless, the sonata has often been subtitled the “Meistersinger” Sonata. It is also sometimes called the “Thun” Sonata from the place of its creation.

Motives from three of the songs Brahms wrote that summer with Hermine Spies’ voice in mind appears fleetingly in the sonata: “Wie Melodien zieht es mir leise durch den Sinn”, Op. 105/1 (“Like melodies it steals softly through my mind”; words by Klaus Groth) makes an appearance in the second subject of the first movement.

“Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer”, Op. 105/2 (“Ever gentle is my sleep”; words by Hermann Lingg) and “Auf dem Kirchhofe”, Op. 105/4 (words by Detlev von Liliencron) are quoted in the final movement. The song “Komm Bald”, Op. 97/5 (“Come soon”; words by Groth) is also said to have provided thematic inspiration for the sonata.