For the American cellist, Brahms’s op.99 Sonata in F major is the alpha and omega of cello playing, allowing for every possible feeling and a vast array of interpretaions

The Brahms F major is my favourite of all the cello sonatas. It runs the gamut of human emotions, from sadness and despair to great joy, as well as inner peace and tranquillity. In Brahms’s works there’s always a sense of wisdom and balance, but I thinkthe put in everythingthe knew into this piece, and it became a statement of deep personal meaning. For me, it’s diferent every time I come back to it. Like a great novel by Dostoevsky, I always ind more layers of understanding, with the emotions and sentiments articulated in a deeper way. I know that it relects how I see myself, and that I’m a slightly diferent person each time. It’s comforting whenever I go back to it, as it now feels like an old friend I’ve known for a very long time and can talk to. It’s alsothelped me through some diicult times.