[Gudrun Schaumann’s] playing is…highly communicative, and when we reach composers where comparisons become more difficult—or impossible—she has the field to herself.

This 1873 sonata, one of almost 300 compositions, was dedicated to Ferdinand David, the concertmaster of the Gewandhaus and close friend of Mendelssohn. It is a fully developed, sophisticated, and complex piece of music that passes quickly because of its wonderful melodic propensities and thematically interesting connections. This 30-minute work is a great find, another premiere recording.

The violin playing in the Schumann is so good that I don’t miss anything from the original settings, and the sound of the 1836 Streicher makes listening a real treat, especially the countermelody in II of the 5 Pieces.

The second disc has excellent violin and piano music by Theodor Kirchner (1823-1903) that is recorded here for the first time.

Another piece recorded here for the first time is the Reinecke sonata…Brunner uses the 1872 Streicher for this piece, giving the music a sort of fresh and contemporary feel.