PENTATONE releases Brahms Cello Sonatas, featuring Alisa Weilerstein and Inon Barnatan, in November 2024.

The Mark Of A New Chapter For The Cello Sonata

Alisa Weilerstein and Inon Barnatan present Brahms‘ two Cello Sonatas, alongside their arrangement of his Violin Sonata in G Major on the cello. This Brahms portrait is a logical next step after the duo’s acclaimed interpretation of Beethoven’s complete Cello Sonatas, released in 2022. While Beethoven’s sonatas reveal the gradual ascendancy of the cello as the proper solo instrument over the piano, Brahms opens a new chapter in the history of the cello sonata, realizing a glorious marriage of equals between the two instruments. This congenial relationship between cello and piano is further enhanced by Weilerstein and Barnatan, whose musical partnership (in addition to their thriving solo careers) has been a stable factor over the years.

Since signing an exclusive contract with PENTATONE, Alisa Weilerstein has released Transfigured Night (2018) as well as Bach’s Cello Suites (2020), while also featuring on Old Souls (2019) and Inon Barnatan’s Beethoven Piano Concertos Part 1 (2019), on which she performed the composer’s Triple Concerto. This album was part of Inon Barnatan’s complete Beethoven piano concertos recordings on PENTATONE, of which Part 2 appeared in 2020. 2021 saw the release of his solo album Time Traveler’s Suite, while Rachmaninoff Reflections appeared in 2023, followed by Darknesse Visible in 2024. Brahms Cello Sonatas is the second PENTATONE album by Weilerstein and Barnatan. Their interpretation of Beethoven’s complete Cello Sonatas appeared on the label in 2022.

“Recording these three Brahms sonatas has been a profound and exhilarating experience for me, enriched by the deep bond I share with my longtime friend and collaborator, Inon Barnatan. This project is a celebration of our shared artistic vision and mutual respect that has grown over many years of performing together.”

Alisa Weilerstein

“Brahms has a unique way of writing for both instruments—melding their sounds together, writing idiomatically for each while demanding they transcend their own voices and embody one another’s sound. This recording is a testament to that extraordinary synthesis, and I hope listening to these recordings brings you as much joy as making them brought us.”

Inon Barnatan

Digital Release Date: 15 NOVEMBER 2024

Physical Release: NOVEMBER 2024

Released as a standard CD and in digital formats for streaming and high-resolution downloads