The Op 120 Sonatas, in their viola-and-piano guise (Brahms originally wrote them for clarinet, later adapting the part to suit the viola), have recently been fortunate in the recording studio. Lawrence Power and Simon Crawford-Phillips are energetic and passionate, Rachel Roberts and Lars Vogt more freely expressive, while Henninge Landaas and Tim Horton’s performances, adopting broader tempi, stress the autumnal character of these late works. Landaas produces an exceptionally fine sound, her tone beautifully centred, her vibrato arising naturally from expressiveness initiated by the bow. Tim Horton’s booklet-notes offer a fascinating comparison of the clarinet and viola versions, centring on the different effect on the two instruments of Brahms’s legato phrases, and both players project these phrases most convincingly. In addition, Horton is adept at balancing chords so that the thickest textures sound rich, never turgid.

The leisurely approach has some drawbacks: the lyrical episodes in the Second Sonata’s first Allegro seem too inclined to linger and the corresponding movement in the First Sonata sometimes sounds elegiac rather than appassionato as marked. But the graceful quality of this sonata’s third movement is captured perfectly and, indeed, in every movement of the two sonatas we hear passages that are especially revealing and beautiful.

My most enthusiastic recommendation, however, remains the Roberts/Vogt disc, not only for its fine balance between energy and reflection and for Lars Vogt’s particularly memorable playing, but also because the disc includes a splendid account of Schumann’s Märchenbilder. The new CD can still be recommended, though, for its persuasive alternative view.