The first three movements of Johannes Brahms’ E minor Cello Sonata were composed in 1862, the last movement was written in 1865. During the first years of its performance the work was received with mixed enthusiasm.

By the end of Brahms’ life, however, it was widely performed and by the first decades of the 20th century it was firmly embedded in the repertoire of many distinguished cellists. It was notably Robert Hausmann’s advocacy of the work which seems to have contributed greatly to its p...