Brahms: Cello Sonatas & Songs Gabriel Schwabe & Nicholas Rimmer

• Johannes Brahms (1833-1897): Sonata for Piano and Cello in E minor, op.38:
• 1I. Allegro non troppo13:22
• 2II. Allegretto quasi menuetto05:17
• 3III. Allegro06:28
• Six Lieder (arr. G. Schwabe and N. Rimmer for cello and piano):
• 44 Gesange, Op. 43: No. 2. Die Mainacht03:30
• 5No. 1. Botschaft01:53
• 6No. 2. Liebesglut02:06
• 75 Gesange, Op. 72: No. 4. Verzagen (arr. G. Schwabe and N. Rimmer for cello and piano)02:34
• 86 Lieder, Op. 85: No. 1. Sommerabend (arr. G. Schwabe and N. Rimmer for cello and piano)02:50
• 96 Lieder, Op. 97: No. 1. Nachtigall (arr. G. Schwabe and N. Rimmer for cello and piano)02:00
• Sonata for Piano and Cello in F major, op.99:
• 10I. Allegro vivace08:17
• 11II. Adagio affettuoso06:30
• 12III. Allegro passionato06:56
• 13IV. Allegro molto04:15
• Total Runtime01:05:58

Info for Brahms: Cello Sonatas & Songs

A period of twenty-one years separates Brahms’ two Cello Sonatas. Suffused with lyricism and expressive ardour, the First has become one of his most popular chamber works. The Second is more sober and succinct than the earlier work, yet strikingly original not least for the wide range required of the cellist to reach unusually high notes from the very low register. Chosen to suit the cello’s particular colour and articulation, the six songs are heard in idiomatic and sensitive arrangements which stay as close as possible to the originals.

Gabriel Schwabe has established himself among the leading cellists of his generation. He is a laureate of numerous national and international competitions, including the Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann, the Concours Rostropovich, and the prestigious Pierre Fournier Award. As a soloist, he has performed with orchestras such as the Philharmonia Orchestra, London, NDR Radiophilharmonie, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. In 2010 Gabriel Schwabe gave his recital début at London’s Wigmore Hall. He studied with Catalin Ilea in Berlin and with Frans Helmerson at the Kronberg Academy, and received further stimulus from János Starker, Gary Hoffmann and Gidon Kremer.

Nicholas Rimmer has appeared at major venues such as the Wigmore Hall, Tonhalle Zurich, Berlin Philharmonie, Laeiszhalle Hamburg and the Gasteig Munich, and has performed as a soloist with the NDR Radiophilharmonie, the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra and the Heidelberger Symphoniker. This is his second recording for Naxos following his acclaimed recording with Tianwa Yang of the complete works for violin and piano of Wolfgang Rihm (8572730), which received a Diapason d’Or, a Pizzicato Supersonic Award and an International Record Review ‘Outstanding’ Award.

“Schwabe and Rimmer bring lots of drive and energy to the outer movements and they build up the tension in the Allegro appassionata to a powerful climax…fluidity and subtlety [are] far more in evidence in their enterprising transcriptions of Six Songs, all of which are projected with affection and bags of charisma.”

Gabriel Schwabe, cello
Nicholas Rimmer, piano

Gabriel Schwabe
has established himself among the leading cellists of his generation. He is a laureate of numerous national and international competitions, including the Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann and the Concours Rostropovich in Paris. In 2009 he won the prestigious Pierre Fournier Award in London. As a soloist, he has performed with orchestras such as the Philharmonia Orchestra, London, NDR Radiophilharmonie, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, with conductors including Marek Janowski, Eivind Gullberg-Jensen, Dennis Russell-Davies, Cornelius Meister and Michael Sanderling. In 2010 Gabriel Schwabe gave his recital début at London’s Wigmore Hall. He is a regular guest at festivals such as the Jerusalem Chamber Music Festival, the Kronberg Cello Festival and the Amsterdam Biennale, and has performed with artists including Christian Tetzlaff, Daniel Hope, Albrecht Mayer, Lars Vogt, Kirill Gerstein and Jonathan Gilad. Since 2012 he has been artistic director of the high profile chamber music series “Resonanzen” in Siegburg, Germany. Gabriel Schwabe was born to German-Spanish parents in 1988. He studied with Catalin Ilea in Berlin and with Frans Helmerson at the Kronberg Academy, and received further stimulus from János Starker, Gary Hoffmann and Gidon Kremer. Gabriel Schwabe is supported by the German Music Foundation. He plays a rare Italian instrument made in Brescia (ca.1600).

Nicholas Rimmer
was born in England and studied at Clare College, Cambridge as well as in Hanover, Berlin and Cologne. As a pianist with a particular focus on chamber music and the song repertoire, he performs regularly at festivals such as Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Aldeburgh, Schwetzingen, Ludwigsburg and Heidelberg. He has appeared at major venues such as the Wigmore Hall, Tonhalle Zurich, Berlin Philharmonie, Laeiszhalle Hamburg and the Gasteig Munich, and has performed as a soloist with the NDR Radiophilharmonie, the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra and the Heidelberger Symphoniker. His varied discography includes three successful albums with Nils Mönkemeyer as well as two solo CDs. This is his second recording for Naxos following his acclaimed recording with Tianwa Yang of the complete works for violin and piano of Wolfgang Rihm (8.572730), which received a Diapason d’Or, a Pizzicato Supersonic Award and an International Record Review ‘Outstanding’ Award. His regular ensembles include a classical piano trio, the Trio Gaspard, and the Trio Belli-Fischer-Rimmer which performs in the unique combination of trombone, percussion and piano. Nicholas Rimmer regularly collaborates with a diverse range of musicians including Maximilian Hornung, Christiane Iven, Nils Mönkemeyer, Lena Neudauer, Anna Lucia Richter, Gabriel Schwabe, Jakob Spahn and Tianwa Yang. He also performs live improvisation to silent movies together with the percussionist Johannes Fischer.

Booklet for Brahms: Cello Sonatas & Songs