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Masterclass: Brahms Cello Sonata in F major

2023-10-04T08:45:00

Gary Hoffman

Cellist Gary Hoffman provides practical tips on interpreting this well-known piece, with reference to the composer’s Third Symphony — and his understanding of the human condition

If you asked me which sonata I could not live without, this would be the one. It’s a bottomless well. It’s a work that keeps on giving and giving, and every time I come back to it I think about where I’ve been since the last time, and what’s happened to me. It’s a mirror, and at the same time an invitation to go further, to discover new places. It’s like an old friend saying, ‘OK, I’ve got something new for you now, what do you think of this?’

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