In 1884 Brahms had composed two sonatas for B-flat Clarinet and Piano, which, after hearing him perform a concerto in Meiningen, he dedicated to and premiered in Vienna with Clarinetist Richard Muhlfeld in January of 1895. Brahms had the highest respects for the virtuoso, who inspired him to essentially come out of retirement and produce these brilliant works so closely to 1897, the year Brahms passed. That same year, he adapted the sonatas for both, the viola and violin. It is far less common to hear this piece performed on the violin than on viola however. The sonatas rightfully became integral to violists' repertoire given how beautifully the sonorities fit.