Search - Johannes Brahms, Bernard Haitink, Boston Symphony Orchestra :: Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2; Cello Sonata, Op. 78

Good piano concerto, transcription a matter of taste

F. Behrens | Keene, NH USA | 09/25/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"There are about 24 listings for Brahms' in the Amazon.com listings as of this writing and several more in the "Penguin Guides to Compact Discs." The world, therefore, is not panting for yet another entry...unless, of course, it is played as well as the pre-release Sony version (SK 63229-S2). Here we have Emanuel Ax at the keyboard and Bernard Haitink leading the Boston Symphony Orchestra in this "Long Terror"--as the press release quotes Brahms as describing his own work. I cannot admit to having heard every version of this work ever recorded; but I cannot recall any that are much better and I definitely recall many with inferior sonics. Much preferring the cello to the violin, I am happy to report that the second offering on this CD is a transcription for cello and piano of Brahms' that might or might not be by the composer himself. Here Mr. Ax is paired with his familiar partner, Yo-Yo Ma, in a lovely rendition that makes the question of authenticity a moot one. This is a highly recommended disc from Sony."

Broad, reflective, lyrical Brahms

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 11/10/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This performance of the Second Concerto is 1-2 min. slower in each movement than, say, the classic Fleisher/Szell version (also on Sony). The piece can sustain a broad reading, and Ax makes a very good impression in the difficult slow movement, where in fact he is more vigorous and incisive than in the Schrezo. The first movement is slow enough that the listener has to change gears from the heaven storming of a Richter--here piano and orchestra are involved in a sober symphonic dialogue of equal partners.



I had feared that Haitink would be too recessive, and he is in the Scherzo, where the orchestral accompaniment doesn't charge ahead. But Ax and he are in clear agreement about what kind of Brahms they want. The finale can sound lightweight if the rhythm skips too briskly; pianist and conductor avoid that pitfall, and this movement for once isn't a letdown.



The 1997 recording was made in excellent 24-bit sound that exceeds in clarity and detail almost all competitors (both Pollini readings with Abbado, from the Seventies and Nineties, sound murky next to this one). This performance is good enough that a buyer might want it just for the sound. The BSO plays quite beautifully, though not with the sustained power of either the Berlin or Vienna Phil. that accompany Pollini. The appended First Violin Sonata transcribed for cello gives Ax and Ma another chance to show how perfectly they play together, although the music sits strangely for the cello.



I can see giving Ax and Haitink five stars--I would have if they'd offered a bit more originality and excitement, a bit less reflection. It's a matter of taste in the end."

Fabulous!

T. Beers | Arlington, Virginia United States | 02/06/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Just when you think the market can't bear another recording of the Brahms B flat concerto, along comes this eloquent performance from Ax, Haitink and the BSO. Simply wonderful music-making that can only be compared to the greatest 'golden age' recordings from the likes of Backhaus, Rubinstein, Arrau and a very few others. But I'm even more impressed with the Ax/Ma performance of Brahms's G major violin sonata. Transposed down to D major to accomodate the cello, this turns out to be a real gem. There is no way this sounds like anything other than a fully idiomatic cello sonata. If sound can be said to have color, let's just say that the violin sonata's midsummer noon gold has been replaced with the darkening reds of a late autumn sunset. First-rate sound quality throughout. Wow! WOW!"