Music Review : Brahms in Chamber Series at Historic Sites

Concerts devoted exclusively to the music of Brahms are not uncommon these days. But a little Brahms, because of its intensity of feeling and luxurious tone, can go a long way.

Each work on Sunday’s concert by the Buswell-Parnas-Luvisi Trio--a Chamber Music in Historic Sites event at the Doheny Mansion--would have made a greater impact had it not been placed next to another Brahms work.

The performances took off from the premise that every phrase of Brahms’ music, indeed every fragment of an arpeggio, must be played with the maximum amount of feeling, must be tapped for all possible passion. This approach eschewed the niceties of form, of dynamic contrast, of variety in color and mood.

Leslie Parnas began the E-minor Cello Sonata, Opus 38, by digging into the opening phrases, marked piano espressivo, at full volume. He stormed Brahms with huge, sudden crescendos, surging tempos, and full-throated lyricism.

In the Violin Sonata in A, Opus 100, James Buswell found more in the way of contrast. Still, where Brahms wanted sweetness, Buswell poured it on thick enough to accompany a Valentino love scene.

Pianist Lee Luvisi accompanied both players in kind, though Parnas overwhelmed his sound consistently.

The concert concluded with a soulful, somewhat heavy-handed reading of the Piano Trio in C, Opus 87, the over-the-top emotionalism holding attention, the technical precision impressing, but offering little variety.