Plenty of mellow beauty in a thoughtful programme
The Strad Issue: May 2026
Description: Plenty of mellow beauty in a thoughtful programme
Musicians: Tabea Zimmermann (viola) Jean-Guihen Queyras (cello) Javier Perianes (piano)
Works: Brahms: Trio in A minor op.114; ‘FAE’ Scherzo. Joachim: Hebrew Melodies C. Schumann: Three Romances op.22 R. Schumann: Three Romances op.94
Catalogue number: HARMONIA MUNDI HMM902789
Tabea Zimmermann and Jean-Guihen Queyras dovetail beautifully in this reading of Brahms’s op.114 Trio for clarinet (or, as here, viola), cello and piano. You may wonder whether that’s to miss the point of a work that thrives on the contrast between reed and string, but Brahms sanctioned the substitution, so it’s fair to assume he gave the matter some thought.
Given the wondrous interplay between Zimmermann, Queyras and pianist Javier Perianes, though, such considerations are soon forgotten. Zimmermann can fine her tone down to a pianissimo to match any clarinettist: witness the close of the Trio’s first movement. And she can insert gentle expressive swoops between notes that wind players can’t; her viola even takes on a violin-like lyricism in higher-lying music.
The remainder of the programme is for viola and piano, and opens with Brahms’s ‘FAE’ Scherzo – agitated and propulsive where the Trio is calm and contented, and persuasive on the viola with only occasional octave transpositions.
It’s dedicated to Joachim, as are the Three Romances by Clara Schumann, character pieces that in their melodic Romanticism are every bit the equal of her husband’s ubiquitous parallel set. Joachim’s own Hebrew Melodies are a rarity and a delightful discovery. If you seek these works with a touch of added alto-clef richness, you are unlikely to find them done with such artistry as here.
DAVID THREASHER
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