Emanuel Ax, Bernard Haitink - Brahms: Concerto No. 2 for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 83 & Sonata in D Major, Op. 78 (1999)

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