Brahms: Complete Variations & Sonatas for Solo Piano

Featuring

Carlo Grante
Johannes Brahms

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Performer Biography

Carlo Grante, the pianist on this recording, is an Italian concert pianist who has performed in major venues worldwide and has over 60 CDs to his name.

Recording & Production

This album was recorded at Bösendorfer's Selection Center in Wienerneustadt, using a Bösendorfer 280 VC piano.

Composer Biography

Johannes Brahms was born a generation after Schumann, Chopin, and Liszt, placing him late in the High Romantic period.

Critical Reception

Robert Schumann, a prominent composer and critic, praised Brahms in his article 'Neue Bahnen' (New Paths), calling him 'one of the elects' and his works 'sonatas, or rather veiled symphonies.'

Composer's Artistic Vision

Brahms believed that in variations, the bass line was sacred and provided the firm foundation for inventing new melodies, rather than merely playing around with the existing melody.

Compositional Technique

A key feature of German compositional practice, mastered by Brahms, is 'Thematische Arbeit,' which involves the continuous treatment of elements derived from a theme.

Composition History

Brahms' three large-scale piano sonatas (Op. 1, Op. 2, and Op. 5) were his only solo piano sonatas and were composed within his first three important years as a composer (1851-54).