Brahms's Op. 10 Ballades were written at a fateful time in his life, shortly after his friend and patron Robert Schumann attempted suicide and was confined to a sanatorium.
Performer Biography
Barry Douglas, the pianist on this recording, won the Gold Medal at the 1986 Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in Moscow.
Composition History
Brahms's Sonata No. 3 in F minor, Op. 5, completed in 1853, remained his largest single keyboard composition.
Composition History
After completing his Sonata No. 3, Op. 5, Brahms abandoned the genre of the piano sonata, as if he had said all he wanted to say in it.
Composer Biography
During the composition of the Op. 10 Ballades, the 21-year-old Brahms was acting as protector and comforter to Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann's wife, and her children, while also being in love with her.
Recording & Production
This recording uses 24-bit / 96 kHz technology, which offers a dynamic range up to 48 dB greater and 256 times the resolution of standard 16-bit recordings.
Compositional Technique
The Sonata No. 3, Op. 5 has an unusual five-part form, with the first movement and Finale framing two slow movements and a Scherzo at the center.
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