#1 Cello Sonata No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 38
We shared in our previous articles how cello composers from Eastern Europe established their characters in music by introducing their cultural memories and patriotic emotions towards their countries. Contemporary compositions emphasize emotions and personal touch; therefore, there is no surprise that we will assume that music presents what the composers have to say. However, as we all know, classical pieces which appeared in the early Baroque or Classical Period were more about formality in structure and style. It was not until Romanticism became popular that musicians started to insert musical themes and emotional expressions into their music. Amongst these musicians, there was Brahms, a romantic person himself, who had written many emotional music pieces. From his cello pieces, we can appreciate how the composer infused sophisticated emotions into his melodies to describe his inner thoughts that could not be easily put into words.
Cello Sonata No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 38 is Brahms’ first cello piece and it was is a duet for cello and piano. Unlike concertos performed by a cello with an orchestra, sonatas were categorized as chamber music. This means the audience could get closer to the performers and hear more clearly the delicate changes and rich tone of colour presented by the cello. Many music lovers believed many sombre and poignant pieces by Brahms were the fruit of his unfruitful relationship with Clara Schumann, wife of his mentor Robert Schumann. But in fact, Brahms was really an affectionate and trustworthy person. He dedicated this Cello Sonata No. 1 in E Minor to an amateur performer Dr Josef Gänsbacher for his unfailing support over the years. This piece of music was a presentation of Brahms himself – unforgettably rich in emotions, sometimes vigorous and sometimes bitter in suppression, which was all brought about gradually from a low note at the beginning.
This is not an easy piece to perform because the sonata is basically played in allegro (quick and lively) and it has long notes that cover wide sound ranges. This will require a lot of attention from the performer to handle the changes in tone colour. Also, for a piece in such tempo, the musical phrases have to be forward-moving all the time. That means the performer needs to be careful with the tension in the sound and not dwell in the emotions.
The sonatas by Brahms had a very important role in the development of establishing the cello as a solo performing instrument. Moreover, because of the varied rises and falls in musical sections, Cello Sonata No. 1 in E Minor is also one of the popular performance pieces for cellists. Different cellists have their own interpretations and hence bring out different feelings. Amongst these different presentations, there are some popular versions such as a more gloomy and melancholic version by Jacqueline de Pré (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XiYrzsgWto), a powerful version by maestro cellist Mischa Maisky (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quoM8rX5XaE), and well-known version by Yoyo Ma which is more gentle (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oyLJHpe8Z8). When you listen carefully to their performances, you will be able to differentiate their differences. Which do you prefer?