Opulent Sonorities

'Zina Schiff has the range of tone colour and subtlety of vibrato to put the music convincingly across.'

Brahms was never the most tactful of men, whether in speech or with his pen. Joseph Joachim was among the most faithful of his friends, helping greatly with the solo part of the violin concerto, writing a standard cadenza for the first movement, and giving the première of the G major violin sonata. But the relationship foundered when Joachim's marriage went awry. Brahms wrote a letter in support of the wife, which was produced in court. Things remained frosty till arrival of the Double Concerto mended matters...