Brahms: Double Concerto; Clara Schumann: Piano Trio

The relationship of cellist and violinist is one of mentee and mentor, and one can hear that relationship in this appealing performance of the . The concerto, his last orchestral piece, has a structure with an intricacy typical of late , with a quasi-improvisatory cello opening that is answered by the violin and carefully worked into a logical framework. is bold, is cool and classical, and it does perhaps sound like a torch being passed. Another strong point here is the presence of 's . It is arguably her finest work, and though it has been recorded from time to time, it has been rare to hear it from players of this caliber; the - pair is joined by pianist . All three players rein themselves in a bit in this classic chamber music performance, and what is revealed is a striking premonition of cyclical form as the resemblance of the first movement's and the finale's material, and perhaps that of the Andante as well, emerges clearly. That Andante is an impressively calm piece of pure melodic playing. Nothing here is groundbreaking, but this is an entirely satisfying piece of German Romantic music-making that landed on best-seller charts in the autumn of 2022. ~ James Manheim