Search - Franz Joseph Haydn, Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, Emanuel Ax :: Haydn: Piano Concertos

Why is Ax so good?

Ryan Richards | Midland, MI United States | 03/29/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Emanuel Ax is always so... good. Why? I don't know, but I'm never listening to any other recording of these pieces. Brilliantly played, with a lively, conversation-ish interplay between soloist and orchestra, they sparkle with a barely-contained energy and a crystal-clear definition of each note from every player involved. One of the only CDs I've ever heard that reminds us that Haydn had a very post-Classical, energetic side to his compositions. Definitely the CD to get if you're interested in these concertos. Hey, get it even if you hate Haydn. Ten bucks this CD will make you listen to him."

Find a bargain here

Paul S. | California | 03/13/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This disk appears later in the listings as a Sony Legacy re-release. I bought the discount version for $1.98 + shipping. At that price it is a phenomenal bargain. Ax does a good job and the recording is crystal clear. You even get some program notes with the cheap version, although they contain some fuzzy feel-good New Agey marketing (New Agers may add a star to my rating).



This CD shows Haydn's creative development from writing intimate but somewhat dull material to the lively, witty and quite extroverted D Major Concerto. This may be just a touch overdone, in that I think more could have been done to put life into the earlier concertos. But once you get into the D Major, Ax is clearly having an infectuous good time with the music. You would not do badly buying this disk for the D Major alone, especially if the bargain price is still available.



As in most recordings of keyboard concertos (the first two are more properly harpsichord concertos) using modern pianos, the balance between soloist and orchestra is seriously out of whack. You don't miss a note Ax plays, because the whole orchestra put together can't drown out anything the piano does. Depending on what you are looking for, you may find this to be a positive advantage or a major annoyance. I'm somewhere in between. Four stars."