Fuga Libera

Brahms: Clarinet Sonatas, Op. 120 & 3 Intermezzi, Op. 117

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Details

Composer
Johannes Brahms
Artist
Nicola Boud, Anthony Romaniuk
Format
CD
Discs
1
Label
Fuga Libera
Released
Dec 12, 2025
Catalog #
FUG855
UPC
5400439008557

About

This recording brings together two late masterworks by Brahms: the Op. 120 Clarinet Sonatas and the Op. 117 Intermezzi for piano, written in the tranquil setting of Bad Ischl. The sonatas, full of tenderness and quiet intensity, were composed for clarinetist Richard Muhlfeld, whose warm, lyrical playing reignited Brahms's desire to compose after a period of silence. This is music of dialogue, not declaration. Nicola Boud and Anthony Romaniuk perform on instruments close to those Brahms and Muhlfeld would have known: a replica of Muhlfeld's 19th-century boxwood clarinet and an 1875 Steinway piano. These choices bring a soft, transparent quality to the sound, inviting a more intimate listening experience. Expressive tools of 19th-century performance: rubato, flexibility, arpeggiation, are used not as effects, but as natural extensions of the music's emotional landscape. Brahms once called the Op. 117 Intermezzi "three lullabies of my grief." These restrained yet luminous pieces distil his late style into elegiac monologues, offering quiet spaces where time feels suspended. Together, these warm, reflective and deeply emotional works offer a glimpse into Brahms' final years.

Tracklist 11 tracks

  1. 1 I. Allegro amabile 08:32
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro amabile
    Duration
    08:32
    Composer
    Johannes Brahms
    Performer
    Nicola Boud, Anthony Romaniuk
  2. 2 II. Allegro appassionato 05:16
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Allegro appassionato
    Duration
    05:16
    Composer
    Johannes Brahms
    Performer
    Nicola Boud, Anthony Romaniuk
  3. 3 III. Andante con moto - Allegro 07:34
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Andante con moto - Allegro
    Duration
    07:34
    Composer
    Johannes Brahms
    Performer
    Nicola Boud, Anthony Romaniuk
  4. 4 No. 1 in E-Flat Major 04:35
    Track
    4
    Title
    No. 1 in E-Flat Major
    Duration
    04:35
    Composer
    Johannes Brahms
    Performer
    Anthony Romaniuk
  5. 5 No. 2 in B-Flat Minor 04:25
    Track
    5
    Title
    No. 2 in B-Flat Minor
    Duration
    04:25
    Composer
    Johannes Brahms
    Performer
    Anthony Romaniuk
  6. 6 No. 3 in C-Sharp Minor 05:58
    Track
    6
    Title
    No. 3 in C-Sharp Minor
    Duration
    05:58
    Composer
    Johannes Brahms
    Performer
    Anthony Romaniuk
  7. 7 I. Allegro appassionato 08:04
    Track
    7
    Title
    I. Allegro appassionato
    Duration
    08:04
    Composer
    Johannes Brahms
    Performer
    Nicola Boud, Anthony Romaniuk
  8. 8 II. Andante un poco adagio 05:04
    Track
    8
    Title
    II. Andante un poco adagio
    Duration
    05:04
    Composer
    Johannes Brahms
    Performer
    Nicola Boud, Anthony Romaniuk
  9. 9 III. Allegretto grazioso 04:29
    Track
    9
    Title
    III. Allegretto grazioso
    Duration
    04:29
    Composer
    Johannes Brahms
    Performer
    Nicola Boud, Anthony Romaniuk
  10. 10 IV. Vivace 05:29
    Track
    10
    Title
    IV. Vivace
    Duration
    05:29
    Composer
    Johannes Brahms
    Performer
    Nicola Boud, Anthony Romaniuk
  11. 11 5 Lieder, Op. 105: No. 1. Wie Melodien zieht es mir (arr. N. Boud and A. Romaniuk for clarinet and piano) 02:23
    Track
    11
    Title
    5 Lieder, Op. 105: No. 1. Wie Melodien zieht es mir (arr. N. Boud and A. Romaniuk for clarinet and piano)
    Duration
    02:23
    Composer
    Johannes Brahms
    Performer
    Nicola Boud, Anthony Romaniuk