Cello Recital - Brahms Sonata
2026 Jan 25Usually after a recital I have a break, but then eventually a choice is made of a new piece to perform at an upcoming recital.
Recitals are useful because performance art calls out to be performed and to be shared with others. There are also a good learning event in themselves: Only practice and familiarity can overcome nervousness. There are traditions for the process of performance, and these are learned by doing.
I already had interest in parts of Brahms' Sonata No.1 for Cello and Piano, but other parts seemed strange or uninteresting to me. I had even bought the sheet music, however, I had not put it in my iPad music app. Ellen brought it up as a suggestion and after listening to it again, I thought I could get into it.
Certainly the piece is interesting in that it covers the whole range of the cello - from the bottom note up to almost as high as you can go. It has sweet parts and rowdy parts. I think it was the noisy parts that I did not "get". However, contrasts are often needed to appreciate things: loud vs soft, low vs high, gentle vs rough, tension vs resolution. This one has it all.
With Ellen's help, I worked up the first movement (first part) of the piece. My friend Nathan at church is a very good cellist, and I requested a lesson with him. It was very interesting because he had a different set of ears on my playing and I came away with some different new things to work on.
This recital Ellen's dad accompanied on piano. Many years ago I had played a piece with him in recital, so it was fun to work together again.
During the performance I felt pretty good. I felt I ended well and I didn't particularly remember mistakes. Afterward, I had more complements than I had had before. It was a good event, satisfying.
Then I edited the recording and realized how very imperfectly I played! :-) I think I still had a good ending. But it was a surprise to me how my perception and the facts misaligned. A cautionary reminder to be humble!
Audio of the cello-piano duet
Video of the cello-piano duet
And at the end we had a group picture. And as at other recitals, I found a non-standard way to display my cello.
