Brahms - Violin Sonata 2 [Belkin/Dalberto] Early last year i played this disc, and i wrote about my experience with it on my Blog [14th January 2010], and here i am again, this disc has come round in rotation to be played again, originally the 2nd Violin Sonata straightway became my favourite, though i now admit that the other two are now equally as good, there really is something i could call 'triplets' about these three works, even though they were conceived and born apart, they make a perfect trio on disc, and fill up a disc to perfection [68 minutes here], and this disc seems to be rising towards the top of my roughly 10 discs of these Sonatas.
Boris Belkin is Russian, born in 1948, he made this recording in 1994, the visuals [booklet front and back inlay] are excellent [photography by Xavier Voirol], showing monotone blue and white pictures of Belkin and Dalberto in action, very well laid out, Denon really do some wonderful discs.
It's the middle movement i like the best, it alternates between a lyrical legato, and a more agitated staccato, switching back and forth many times, Belkin and Dalberto adopt sensible speeds here, Dalberto's piano is warm, maybe a little too smooth, it would have been nice to have some icy treble in the recording, and i feel Belkin is given prominence being louder, it's after the lyrical opening that the players get down to business with the first agitated staccato section [1:14-2:15], with the piano's bubbly and jerky rhythm, which the violin quickly mimics, the main central lyrical staccato section [2:15-4:06] is longer than the others, and it's where the violin gets its most passionate towards the end [3:33-3:53], the second staccato section [4:06-5:03] is now made up of lots of pizzicato from the violin, with great effect, right at the very end there's one last short staccato pizzicato burst to finish things off! [6:09-6:20], a superb movement of variety.
Here's Anne-Sophie Mutter playing the second movement on YouTube.
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