2 × hören: Brahms

'With this letter, you can say goodbye to my music, because it's definitely time to move on.' In 1890, Johannes Brahms announced the end of his career. Fortunately, this was rather premature. When he met Richard Mühlfeld shortly afterwards, he quickly took up his pen and sheet music again. Four significant late works bear witness to Brahms' enthusiasm for the clarinettist's performance. These include two sonatas that Brahms expressly intended for the viola rather than the clarinet, though he did issue a warning: ‘As viola sonatas, the two pieces are very clumsy and unpleasant.’ Artistic director Markus Fein discusses why even Brahms can be wrong and what makes his Sonata Op. 120 No. 2 a fixed star for violists with Siemens Music Prize winner Tabea Zimmermann, who will perform the piece again as part of the popular concert series following these reflections. In a sense, the evening in the Mozart Hall is a logical continuation: the Brahms Sonata Op. 120 No. 1 in the version for clarinet and piano was already scheduled for the 2025/26 season, and now its sister work is being performed in the viola version — certainly not 'unpleasant' at all!