Mari Kodama - Brahms & Schumann: New Paths (2022)

Mari Kodama presents New Paths, exploring the young Johannes Brahms and his fascinating friendship with Clara and Robert Schumann. The album derives its title from Robert Schumann’s famous essay “Neue Bahnen”, in which he heralded the young Brahms as the most eminent musical voice of the future. The programme brings together Brahms’s first piano sonata, his Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 9, as well as his Theme And Variations, Op. 18B, made at Clara Schumann’s request. The final word is given to Clara’s arrangement of Robert’s song Widmung. New Paths not only explores the unique bond of these three remarkable composers, but also shows the energetic self-confidence of the young Brahms, so different from his later melancholia. Kodama performs these works on a brand new Yamaha piano that almost sounds like a period instrument, coming much closer to Brahms’s sound ideal.

Mari Kodama is one of the most extraordinary pianists of our age, and has an impressive Pentatone discography, featuring Beethoven’s complete piano sonatas (2003-2014), piano concertos of Loewe and Chopin (2003), Tchaikovsky Ballet Suites for Piano Duo (2016), De Falla’s Nights in the Gardens of Spain (2017), Martinů’s Concerto for Two Pianos (2018), Kaleidoscope, Beethoven Transcriptions and MON AMI Mon amour (both 2020).

Tracklist:
01. Brahms: Piano Sonata No. 1 in C Major, Op. 1: I. Allegro
02. Brahms: Piano Sonata No. 1 in C Major, Op. 1: II. Andante
03. Brahms: Piano Sonata No. 1 in C Major, Op. 1: III. Scherzo. Allegro molto e con fuoco - Più mosso
04. Brahms: Piano Sonata No. 1 in C Major, Op. 1: IV. Finale. Allegro con fuoco
05. Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 9: Thema. Ziemlich langsam
06. Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 9: Var. 1, L'istesso tempo
07. Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 9: Var. 2, Poco più moto
08. Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 9: Var. 3, Tempo di tema
09. Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 9: Var. 4, Poco più moto
10. Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 9: Var. 5, Allegro capriccioso
11. Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 9: Var. 6, Allegro
12. Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 9: Var. 7, Andante
13. Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 9: Var. 8, Andante
14. Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 9: Var. 9, Schnell
15. Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 9: Var. 10, Poco adagio
16. Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 9: Var. 11, Un poco più animato
17. Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 9: Var. 12, Allegretto, poco scherzando - Presto
18. Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 9: Var. 13, Non troppo presto
19. Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 9: Var. 14, Andante
20. Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 9: Var. 15, Poco adagio
21. Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 9: Var. 16, Adagio
22. Brahms: Theme & Variations in D Minor, Op. 18b
23. Schumann: Myrthen, Op. 25: No. 1, Widmung (Arr. C. Schumann for Solo Piano)