Works for Viola and Piano by Brahms, Schubert, Hindemith

Featuring

Naoko Shimizu
Özgür Aydin
Paul Hindemith
Franz Schubert
Johannes Brahms

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Performer Biography

Naoko Shimizu, the violist on this album, was the first violist in 21 years to win First Prize at the ARD International Music Competition in Munich in 1997.

Instruments

Schubert's 'Arpeggione' Sonata was originally composed for the arpeggione, a six-string instrument invented in 1823 by J.G. Staufer, which combined qualities of a guitar and cello.

Composition History

Paul Hindemith's Sonata, Op. 11, No. 4, was presented at his first public 'Kompositionsabend' in Frankfurt in 1919, leading to an immediate offer from the Schott publishing company.

Composition History

Johannes Brahms's Sonata in E flat major, Op. 120 No. 2, was his last major instrumental work, inspired by his acquaintance with clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld after Brahms had considered retiring.

Composer Biography

Paul Hindemith, originally a violinist, turned to the viola after World War I and became a leading German viola virtuoso, helping the instrument gain prominence in the 20th century.

Composition History

For the first edition of Brahms's Op. 120 sonatas, the clarinet part was simultaneously arranged for viola to make the works more marketable due to their unusual instrumentation.