The cello used in this recording is a Gofriller "Ex Barbirolli-Schuster" from Venice, made in 1700.
Composer Biography
Johannes Brahms, the composer of these sonatas, was not only an excellent pianist but also fairly familiar with the cello.
Instruments
The piano featured on this recording is a Bösendorfer 275.
Performer Biography
Christoph Henkel, the cellist, began playing in 1953, studied with a pupil of Feuermann and János Starker, and won first prize in the "Young Concert Artists" competition in New York in 1971.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Brahms titled his cello sonatas "sonatas for piano and cello" to emphasize an equal partnership between the two instruments, rather than a solo work with accompaniment.
Compositional Technique
The combination of piano and cello is considered difficult to balance, especially in the cello's lower register, where it struggles to penetrate the piano's sound.
Performer Biography
Elisabeth Westenholz, the pianist, studied in Copenhagen and Vienna, making her debut in 1968, and has received several awards.
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