Cellist Alisa Weilerstein's New Album, "Brahms Cello Sonatas"

Released on Pentatone, the album features Brahms' two cello sonatas and violin sonata

Cellist Alisa Weilerstein and pianist Inon Barnatan have released a new album on Pentatone, entitled Brahms Cello Sonatas. Brahms' two cello sonatas, Op. 38 No. 1 in E Minor and Op. 99 No. 2 in F Major showcase the lyricism and technical precision of the cello as a solo instrument. In addition to the cello sonatas, Brahms' Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Major, Op. 78, is included in the album, featuring Weilerstein and Barnatan's arrangement for Cello and Piano.

To purchase and listen to the album, click here.

Johannes Brahms made a number of contributions to the chamber music repertoire, particularly his sonatas for strings. His cello and violin sonatas combine lyrical beauty with complex structural design. Brahms composed his Cello Sonata No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38, during a period of great personal and professional development. The sonata was first composed in 1862 but took several years before it was officially published.

The Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Major, Op. 78, often referred to as the "Regensonate" ("Rain Sonata"), was composed in 1878, at a time when Brahms was deeply influenced by his friendship with violinist Joseph Joachim. More than 20 years after completing his first cello sonata, Brahms composed his Cello Sonata No. 2 in F Major, Op. 99, in 1886. By this time, Brahms had fully matured as a composer, and the sonata reflects this in its more confident, expansive character. The work is considered one of his most refined chamber music compositions and is frequently described as a synthesis of his experience as both a symphonic composer and a composer for smaller ensembles.

Listen to Brahms' Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1 in G Major arranged for Cello and Piano below

Cellist Alisa Weilerstein signed an exclusive contract with Pentatone, and has released Transfigured Night (2018) as well as Bach’s Cello Suites (2020). She was also featured on Old Souls (2019) and Inon Barnatan’s Beethoven Piano Concertos Part 1 (2019), on which she performed the composer’s Triple Concerto. Brahms Cello Sonatas is the second Pentatone album by Weilerstein and Barnatan.