Max Bruch’s Eight Pieces is one of those undefinable works that tends to fall between the cracks in the repertoire, but the music is really delightful, and so is this performance. The ordering of the individual numbers has been rearranged here for maximum contrast, and while I’m not sure the result is necessarily “autumnal”, it does provide for some very enjoyable listening. These three players work very well together, with Joan Borràs’ mellow clarinet meshing very well with the timbre of the cellist, all supported by a finely judged piano accompaniment.
These observations hold equally true in the Brahms, one of his most relaxed chamber works despite its minor-key ambience. This is a notably fluid performance: the allegros have a natural feeling of real forward movement, the Andantino grazioso’s waltz rhythms capture the elegance of the dance quite effectively, and the Adagio sings sweetly. The SACD engineering also permits the players to balance their lines naturally, warmly, and without the sometimes claustrophobic focus on the wind instrument that we often find in this repertoire. A lovely release.
