Schumann - The Sonatas for Violin and Piano

When classical performers come together to make music, the quality of their performance is effected by many variables. When they aren't connected, their timing, phrasing, tempo, pitch, and tone can quickly deteriorate - turning a great piece of music into a great piece of trash. However, when they are connected, much like the aligning of the planets, wonderful and spectacular things happen. A great piece of music becomes more than notes on a page - it's music so moving, so riveting, you can feel it in your soul. Jennifer Koh and Reiko Uchida have done just that.

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On the album are three works by Robert Schumann: Sonata No. 1 in A minor, Sonata No. 2 in D minor, and Sonata No. 3 in A minor. About Schumann's sonatas, Jennifer Koh says, "A single phrase is like a poignant memory that returns and with each visit is reborn more vividly, more passionately, more tenderly than before." Her poetic words barely begin to describe the magnitude and depth of these marvelous sonatas. At the start of the album, the listener is immediately drawn in by the ravishingly tormented melody of Sonata No. 1 in A minor, and while it may seem the violin's lyric raptures are forefront, the piano's unduly driving force keeps the work alive. Sonatas 2 and 3 retain the depth and lyricism present in Sonata No. 1 without losing their own unique identity. Schumann's four movement Sonata No. 2 is referred to as the Grand Sonata. Its length and emotional profundity convey its befitting title. Schumann's Sonata No. 3 was composed in 1853, yet remains relatively unknown since it wasn't published until 1956. Sonata No. 3 is the darkest of all three sonatas.

Inside the album's cover you'll find impressive program notes by Andrea Lamoreaux describing and elaborating upon each of the sonata's complexities (and their simplicities), short profiles of Jennifer Koh and Reiko Uchida, and a note from Jennifer Koh. While Koh is already internationally recognized, her fame outside of the classical music circle is negligible. Jennifer Koh is a tremendously talented violinist who just recently debuted with the New York Philharmonic playing the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. Reiko Urchida also has an extensive performance background. The caliber of her piano skills is beyond your typical accompanist. Like Koh, she plays with her heart and soul. And like I said before, you don't get much better than that.