Pianist András Schiff's New Album, "Brahms / Schumann"

Released on ECM Records, the album includes Brahms' Violin Sonata No. 1 and Schumann's Violin Sonata No. 2

Pianist András Schiff and violinist Yuuko Shiokawa have released their latest album, Brahms / Schumann, on ECM Records. This album features Brahms’s Violin Sonata Op. 78 No. 1 in G major and Schumann’s Violin Sonata Op. 121 No. 2 in D minor, showcasing the duo's synergy and emotional connection to the music.

To purchase and listen to the album, click here.

The album opens with Brahms’ first violin sonata, a work known known as the “Regenliedsonate” (Rain Sonata),” with its final movement incorporating motifs from his two songs “Regenlied” (Rain Song) and “Nachklang” (Lingering Sound).

In contrast, Schumann’s sonata, filled with passionate themes and dynamic contrasts, allows the duo to explore a more dramatic dialogue, bringing to life the composer’s romantic spirit.

The sonata was premiered by Clara Schumann and Joseph Joachim in 1853. That same year, Brahms and Schumann – together with Albert Dietrich — composed the collaborative F-A-E Sonata, whose c minor scherzo, contributed by Brahms, was likely inspired by the second movement of this Schumann sonata.

Listen to an excerpt of Schumann’s Violin Sonata No. 2

Schiff and Shiokawa released an album in 2017 that included the violin sonatas of Bach, Busoni, and Beethoven. They made their first joint appearance on the label back in 2000 with their recording of Schubert’s C Major Fantasy, now turning their focus into the core repertoire of Romantic chamber music.