Johannes Brahms, the composer, wrote in an 1887 letter that he knew his 1868 Streicher piano "through and through," always knowing "exactly what I write and why I write one way or another."
Performer Biography
Pianist Constantine Finehouse, who has degrees from Juilliard and Yale, teaches at New England Conservatory and serves as Visiting Artist/Faculty at Westmont College, CA.
Instruments
The strings used for the violin are made of whole unsplit lamb gut, a rediscovered Italian method that provides greater stability, longer life, and superior acoustic performance.
Recording & Production
The Frederick Collection of Historical Grand Pianos, where Sonatas No. 1 and No. 2 were recorded, houses about thirty pianos by significant makers to demonstrate the close relationship between compositions and the diverse pianos of each era.
Instruments
The violin used in this recording is a 1706 Joseph Guarnerius, filius Andreæ, representing his middle period when he developed an independent style.
Interpretation
This album features performances on historical instruments, including an 1868 J. B. Streicher piano and an 1886 Chickering Concert Grand, to recreate the sound world of Brahms's era.
Performer Biography
Violinist Daniel Kurganov began playing at age 16 and studied under Rudolf Koelman, a protégé of Jascha Heifetz, at the Zurich University of the Arts.
