It’s always nice to hear a new recording that reminds you that good music often gets unfairly relegated to the bottom of the pile, the cutout bin, or a dusty shelf. These three very worthwhile violin sonatas span Niels Gade’s entire professional life, from the sunny, singing lines of the early first movement of the first sonata–right at home in Mendelssohn’s Leipzig–to the finale of the Sonata No. 3 (one of his last works), which is close to Brahms both in complexity and demeanor. Dora Bratchkova’s full, sweet tone is perfectly suited for the lighter, romantic moments, a perfect example being the opening bars of the Andante con moto of the Sonata No. 1. She’s also capable of darkening her sound for the more brooding elements, such as the Adagio section of the finale to Sonata No. 2. Andreas Meyer Hermann’s excellent piano accompaniment always is musical and supportive, and CPO’s clean, immediate sound creates a fine balance, ideally capturing the natural timbre and resonance of both instruments.
Both Clara Schumann and Felix Mendelssohn were big supporters of Gade, and it’s hard to see why at least the second sonata is not a staple in the modern concert repertoire. These convincing performances should bring deserved attention and respect to all three works–and anyone who admires Classical and Romantic violin music, from Beethoven to Brahms, shouldn’t hesitate to give this disc a serious listen.
