Word: ax
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...true that, particularly in the first movement of the Schumann, the players plant huge accents and unlikely crescendos in their parts, as though trying to outdo each other. I agree that Ax's playing casts the largest shadow on these recordings. His clear and often too-powerful playing in the Schumann starkly highlights the roughshod scampering of Laredo and Stern. Laredo's most credible playing comes in the third movement, though his rich solo must contend with Stern's wavering obbligato...
...quite surprising that Ax manages to dwarf Ma's usually colossal sound. One wouldn't expect such strange dynamics from a pair who have recorded all the major cello sonatas together over the last 15 years. For most of the Schumann, it seems that the strings are seated much further behind the microphone than the pianist; their resultingly tinny tones are swept away by Ax's nebulous waves of sound...
...technical expertise provided by Ax is, unfortunately, unmatched by the other members of the group. This is not to say that Ax is the best musician among them, though one might think so having only heard this disc. Still, he appears overly conscious of this fact, rumbling over Ma's smaller solos too easily...
...Ax may simply be unable to compensate for the disproportionate weight of his sound in this recording setup; the listener can detect the lightness of his touch on the keys, yet the sound itself resembles a Class 9 hurricane. One musical detail sticks out specifically :to those familiar with the Schumann Ax doesn't roll any of the chords in the exposition of the first movement's theme...
...Ax's best playing comes on the Beethoven. His runs are sublime, his pauses placed perfectly. In spite of the fact that they spend considerably more energy and adrenaline on the Schumann, all of the players exude more spirit and virtuosity in the Beethoven. It is, by far, the more pleasurable listening experience...