Pierce-Aomori Duo & Daniel Barrett - Brahms: Clarinet Sonatas 1 & 2; Clarinet Trio (2009)

"The Pierce-Aomori Duo, consisting of pianist Joshua Pierce and clarinetist Hideaki Aomori, give swiftly flowing, beautifully characterized interpretations of Johannes Brahms' Two Sonatas for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 120. At the conclusion of the program they are joined by cellist Daniel Barrett for the composer's Trio in A Minor, Op. 114, making for a highly satisfying end to a program rich in unexpected delights.Since these works were the fruit of a last burst of creativity by Brahms, who had intended to retire from composition until a chance encounter in 1891 with virtuoso clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld, we should expect the clarinet to be the star of the proceedings. And Aomori fills the role to perfection, with his smooth legato, effortless production, and splendid breath control, which includes Brahms' frequent requirement for the type of beautifully swelling tone known as a hemiola. But the close partnership of piano and clarinet needs to be in evidence here as well, and Aomori and Pierce come across as a flawlessly integrated duo.

Sonata No. 1 in F Minor shows the close rapport between the two partners in its demand for a strong rhythmic profile and syncopations shared between instruments. A theme in octaves ending in the remote key of G-flat in the piano in the emotionally charged opening movement, marked Allegro appassionato (You said it, Brahms!) is countered by a series of beautifully shaped phrases in the clarinet, giving us an earnest of further riches to come. The Andante, with its flowing 12-bar theme of deceptive simplicity, makes good on that promise. The scherzo is marked Allegretto grazioso, but my own pet name for it is “Alligator,” for the tricky way the piano's left and right hands and the clarinet are offset, setting up some delicious syncopations. An extroverted, playful rondo in ABACBA form marked Vivace gives both performers ample opportunity to show their stuff.

Sonata No. 2 in E-flat opens with a long, melancholy solo line from the clarinet. The interplay between clarinet and piano is intricate and charming. In this opening movement Pierce and Aomori pay close attention to Brahms' unusually detailed expressive marking amabile, molto dolce sempre and tranquillo. An Allegro appassionato with a contrasted simple melody in the trio section serves as both scherzo and slow movement in this 3-movement sonata. The finale, Andante con moto, is a set of variations calling for lively interplay between the two players.

In the Trio in A Minor for Clarinet, Cello and Piano, the mood is sweetly reflective and elegiac, even a bit nostalgic. The addition of the cello called for three principal themes, instead of two, in the sonata-type exposition. Though the virtuosity of the clarinet is still very much in evidence, there is a lot of room for charming interplay between all three instruments. The Adagio with its long, graceful melody for clarinet and cello is followed by an Andantino in smartly syncopated quarter-notes. The Allegro finale, with its tricky metrical changes from 6/8 to 2/4 in fast sixteenth notes with a brief excursion in 9/8, ends in a spirited dash to the finish. The superb sense of ensemble in this performance is nowhere more evident than here."

Audio Video Club of Atlanta ~ July 2009