This recording brings together two late masterpieces by Brahms: the Clarinet Sonatas op. 120 and the Intermezzi for Piano op. 117, written in the tranquil surroundings of Bad Ischl. The sonatas, full of tenderness and quiet intensity, were written by Brahms for the clarinettist Richard Mühlfeld, whose warm, lyrical tone rekindled his silenced creativity. It is music of dialog, not of declamation. Nicola Boud and Anthony Romaniuk
play on instruments that Brahms and Mühlfeld also knew: a copy of Mühlfeld's 19th century boxwood clarinet and a Steinway grand piano from 1875. These instruments lend the sound a soft, transparent quality that invites a more intimate listening experience. Expressive devices of 19th century performance practice - rubato, flexibility, arpeggiation - are not used here as effects, but as a natural extension of the emotional musical landscape. Brahms himself once called the Intermezzi op. 117 "three lullabies of my pain". These restrained yet luminous pieces distil his late style into elegiac monologues that open up quiet spaces in which time seems to stand still. Together, these warm, thoughtful and deeply felt works provide a touching insight into Brahms' final creative years.