Brahms Works for Solo Piano, Vol. 2 Barry Douglas

• Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897): 4 Ballades, Op. 10:
• 1 Brahms: 4 Ballades, Op. 10: No. 2 in D Major 06:53
• 6 Klavierstücke, Op. 118:
• 2 Brahms: 6 Klavierstücke, Op. 118: No. 3, Ballade in G Minor 03:17
• 3 intermezzi, Op. 117:
• 3 Brahms: 3 intermezzi, Op. 117: No. 2 in B-Flat Minor 03:53
• 4 Klavierstücke, Op. 119:
• 4 Brahms: 4 Klavierstücke, Op. 119: No. 4, Rhapsody in E-Flat Major 05:15
• 7 Fantasies, Op. 116:
• 5 Brahms: 7 Fantasies, Op. 116: No. 2, Intermezzo in A Minor 03:55
• 6 Brahms: 7 Fantasies, Op. 116: No. 6, Intermezzo in E Major 03:47
• 4 Ballades, Op. 10:
• 7 Brahms: 4 Ballades, Op. 10: No. 3 in B Minor, "Intermezzo" 04:04
• Piano Sonata No. 3 in F Minor, Op. 5:
• 8 Brahms: Piano Sonata No. 3 in F Minor, Op. 5: I. Allegro maestoso - Più animato 10:37
• 9 Brahms: Piano Sonata No. 3 in F Minor, Op. 5: II. Andante 09:54
• 10 Brahms: Piano Sonata No. 3 in F Minor, Op. 5: III. Scherzo. Allegro energico 04:48
• 11 Brahms: Piano Sonata No. 3 in F Minor, Op. 5: IV. Intermezzo (Rückblick). Andante molto 04:19
• 12 Brahms: Piano Sonata No. 3 in F Minor, Op. 5: V. Finale. Allegro moderato ma rubato 07:44
• Total Runtime 01:08:26

Info for Brahms Works for Solo Piano, Vol. 2

This is Volume 2 in our series devoted to the works for solo piano by Johannes Brahms, with the acclaimed pianist Barry Douglas. Since winning the Gold Medal at the 1986 Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in Moscow, Douglas has established a major international career, and his reputation as a pianist and conductor continues to grow.

Brahms wrote his set of four Ballades, Op. 10 (of which Nos 2 and 3 are included on this disc) at the age of twenty-one, and at a time of much personal upheaval. His friend and patron Schumann had attempted suicide and been confined to a sanatorium near Bonn, and Brahms had been thrust into the role of protector and comforter of Schumann’s wife, Clara, while coming to terms with his own strong feelings for her. Reflective of the difficult situation, these Ballades display a deep-felt blend of the dramatic and the lyrical.

A few months before he composed the Ballades, during his stay with the Schumanns in October 1853, Brahms completed a new piano sonata with which he had been struggling throughout the spring and summer of that year. Published as his Sonata No. 3, it would remain his single largest keyboard composition. It unites aspects of his two previous sonatas – the classical features of No. 1 with the romantic, fantasia-like character of No. 2 – and surpasses both of them in virtuosity and structural command.

Brahms’s collections of short piano pieces, issued as Op. 116 – 19, were among his final compositions for piano, and albeit a few of them provide brief glimpses of the old energy and fire, most are reflective, and deeply introspective in character. This was music that Brahms wrote to play for himself, or at the most to a few close friends. In fact, Clara Schumann was the first to see these in their manuscript form.

"…this cycle looks set to become a benchmark version to rival that of the much esteemed Katchen, and with fabulous sound quality to match." (IRR)

"Much of Brahms's piano music, with its galloping rhythms and urgent melodic figures, can be called "demonic", the word his friend Schumann used to describe the younger composer's Ballade in B minor Op 10 No 3. It starts in satanic vein but opens into tender lyricism, another Brahms trait. In Volume 2 of the piano music, Barry Douglas is particularly successful with this B minor Ballade, and in the Sonata No 3 Op 5 written around the same time. There's a tendency towards heaviness in the Ballade Op 10 No 2, but the Intermezzi (Op 116 Nos 2 and 6, Op 117 no 2) and the Rhapsody Op 119 no 4 are handled with skill, perception and dignity." (Observer)

"Douglas superbly draws out the contrasts within each piece, bringing out their individual character."

"In the Impromptus, Douglas allows the music room to breathe while rendering its structure with clear- sighted rigour. It is a marvellous account, the Andantino a model of power and delicacy succeeded by a quicksilver Scherzo, all superbly captured by the Chandos rich sound." (BBC Music Magazine)

Barry Douglas, piano

Barry Douglas
has established a major international career since winning the Gold Medal at the 1986 Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition, Moscow. As Artistic Director of Camerata Ireland and the Clandeboye Festival, he continues to celebrate his Irish heritage whilst also maintaining a busy international touring schedule.

Barry Douglas Picture 2015Barry opened the 17/18 season performing Tchaikovsky with the Halle Orchestra, after which he began new collaborations with both the Endellion String Quartet and the Borodin Quartet. He toured in recital in the UK and USA and performed with orchestras across the globe from Canada to Europe to China to Russia. During the 16/17 season Barry performed two full Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto cycles in Ireland with the RTE Orchestra in Dublin and the Ulster Orchestra in Belfast. He also gave performances of Tchaikovsky’s first Piano Concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra, and opened the St. Petersburg Philharmonic’s concert season, all marking the 30th anniversary of his Tchaikovsky International Competition win.

Other recent and future highlights include performances at BBC Proms in the Park with the Ulster Orchestra, a UK tour with the Russian State Symphony Orchestra, and appearances with Orchestre de Auvergne, Barcelona Symphony, Bogota Philharmonic and Vancouver Symphony orchestras. He also recently gave the premiere of Kevin Volans’ fourth piano concerto with the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, and performed in recital at the Verbier Festival.

He has previously given concerts with the BBC Scottish Symphony, London Symphony, Russian National, Cincinnati Symphony, Singapore Symphony, Berlin Radio Symphony, Staatskapelle, Halle, Orchestre National de France, Seattle Symphony, Melbourne Symphony, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Hong Kong Philharmonic orchestras, among others. Barry regularly plays in recitals throughout the world, with recent performances in the UK, the Netherlands, Armenia, Mexico, China and the US.

Barry is an exclusive Chandos recording artist. He recently completed recording the full works for solo piano of Brahms, the six albums of which have received much critical praise. International Record Review wrote that “this is indeed Brahms playing of the utmost integrity and authority… this cycle looks set to become a benchmark version.” The interesting programming of each disc presents each album as a stand-alone recital, providing a varied and engaging listening experience. His current recording project focusses on the solo piano works of Schubert; the fourth and final disc will be released next season. Last season he also began a new series, recording Tchaikovsky solo piano music. Also with Chandos Barry is exploring Irish folk music through his own arrangements, working with ancient melodies through to pieces by contemporary song writers. The first in this series, Celtic Reflections, was released in September 2014 and was followed in 2016 by a second disc: Celtic Airs.

In 1999 Barry Douglas founded the chamber orchestra Camerata Ireland to celebrate and nurture the very best of young musicians from both Northern and the Republic of Ireland. In addition to striving for musical excellence, one of the orchestra’s aims is to further the peace process in Ireland by promoting dialogue and collaboration through its musical education programmes. Barry regularly tours with Camerata Ireland throughout the world and visited the US in the spring of 2018. Highlights of past seasons were Camerata Ireland’s debut at the BBC Proms in London and a world premiere of a new cantata commissioned by The Honourable The Irish Society, “At Sixes and Sevens”, alongside the London Symphony Orchestra to celebrate Derry-Londonderry becoming City of Culture 2013. Barry Douglas received the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2002 New Year’s Honours List for services to music.

Booklet for Brahms Works for Solo Piano, Vol. 2