In this master class on Brahms' Cello Sonata No. 1, Israeli cellist Amit Peled, one of the most sought-after pedagogues on his instrument, works with William Weil on Brahms at the Villa Sandra Lesa.

Begun in 1862, Brahms' Cello Sonata No. 1 represented a turning point in the young composer's career. HIs last sonata, the Piano Sonata No. 3 (1853), was tempestuous and youthful. In contrast, Brahms' first cello sonata positioned him in the canon of great Western composers, with the music citing Bach's Art of the Fugue and Beethoven's Cello Sonata in A major. Originally just two movements, the duo sonata received a third movement finale in 1865.