BRAHMS, Johannes

Sonata for viola and piano in E flat major op. 120 no. 2

I. Allegro amabile

Gérard Caussé, guest professor 

Adriana Snape, student

Antonia Valente, accompanying pianist

The student performs the first movement of Brahms' Sonata for Viola No. 2. Caussé points out that the movement is marked amabile but also carries an appassionato character. For the intervallic leap in the melody, he recommends always using the 1-3 fingering rather than 1-4. In another passage, he suggests ending more gently to create greater contrast with the following, more intense section.

They go back to the beginning, and for the opening phrase, Caussé comments on bowings and bow directions that would work better. He also encourages the student to be more attuned to the piano, as the melodic lines are in constant dialogue between the instruments. In the next phrase, he stresses the importance of vibrato to provide greater support and help build a solid foundation for what follows. Regarding a particular glissando, Caussé advises against it and suggests alternative fingerings to avoid it. He also offers suggestions related to expressivity—such as clearly marking the piano entry, shaping the phrases to keep the notes from "cooling off", dynamic contrasts, the use of harmonics to highlight a color change, and other fingerings and phrasing details.

Language: English