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Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2; Cello Sonata, Op. 78
Johannes Brahms, Bernard Haitink, Boston Symphony Orchestra
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2; Cello Sonata, Op. 78
Genre: Classical
 
  •  Track Listings (7) - Disc #1

This is as fine a performance of the concerto as you are likely to hear. From the wistful opening horn solo to the sunny, cheerful finale, Ax and Haitink bring out its grandeur, power, and majesty, but also its tender, pen...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Johannes Brahms, Bernard Haitink, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Emanuel Ax
Title: Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2; Cello Sonata, Op. 78
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Sony
Release Date: 8/24/1999
Genre: Classical
Styles: Chamber Music, Forms & Genres, Concertos, Instruments, Keyboard, Strings, Symphonies
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 074646322925

Synopsis

Amazon.com
This is as fine a performance of the concerto as you are likely to hear. From the wistful opening horn solo to the sunny, cheerful finale, Ax and Haitink bring out its grandeur, power, and majesty, but also its tender, pensive lyricism and feathery playfulness. Every note is important; there is time to caress details and nuances without losing sweep and flow; rhythms are flexible, liberties poised, the orchestral sound is intense yet clear. The playing of the sonata, too, is all anyone could wish for, technically, musically, and expressively; but, among the transcriptions of Brahms's works--some of which he sanctioned or made himself--this arrangement of the First Violin Sonata for cello by an unknown hand is one of the more controversial and less felicitous. It entails a change of key, creating problems of range and texture; register changes break up melodic lines, and the soaring climaxes need the radiance of the violin tone. Ma's own transcription of Brahms's Third Violin Sonata, also recorded by him and Ax, is much better in every way. --Edith Eisler

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CD Reviews

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!"