#227 The Smell of Evening Beach

The rush is gone. It's just lovers, and sunset, and small waves, and wind, cold a little bit. The life is pulsing, irregularly. And when the melody in the ninth minute unwinds, it's all coming into blossom.

Steinbacher and Kulek can bring pretty casual sound, it's like an improvisation, random ideas, here and now.

Composer: Johannes Brahms
Work: Sonata for piano and violin No 1, I. Vivace ma non troppo
Recording: Arabella Steinbacher, Robert Kulek

#213 The Smell of Suffering

The beginning, that's real pain. I wonder if somewhere else a composer was so successful in translating his suffering to music. However, there's also a fight, a majestic sound keeping us up, filling us with hope.

Buchbinder and Harnoncourt in what might be the best recording of this concerto ever (yet not your typical Brahms). Highly spirited, infiltrating and completing each other.

Composer: Johannes Brahms
Work: Piano Concerto No 1, I. Maestoso
Recording: Rudolf Buchbinder, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Nikolaus Harnoncourt

#210 The Smell of Attack

This music goes straightly to its point. Intention and destination are clear; no time to wait, no time to explain. It attacks you completely, subjugates you, violates you.

Mutter is able to achieve almost agonizing sound when you cannot breathe anymore. BPO is second to none.

Composer: Johannes Brahms
Work: Violin concerto, III. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo vivace – Poco più presto
Recording: Anne-Sophie Mutter, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan

#153 The Smell of Stairway

This composition runs on and up, it's a stairway, sometimes massive, sometimes steep but still grand. You have to run the stairs–there are spots where you can breathe out but in these moments, hunting memories are coming to your head: go, go!

Argerich on her debut recital album is marvelous. She unstoppable, raved. But don't think about it as about a romantic aberrance–this is well structured, totally controlled performance. Very Brahms, very Argerich.

Composer: Johannes Brahms
Work: Rhapsody No 1
Recording: Martha Argerich

#141 The Smell of Bigger Than Life

It's a mix of pride and emotion with several moments that get you very high (2'33'' or 4'22''). The beginning is so sweet, a preparation for a shot of pathos. And the finale, oh my, what an orchestration!

Szell and The Cleveland Orchestra were already introduced here, mostly in Schumann. Their Brahms is big, too. Lovely tempo, very consistent, solid sound. Faithful.

Composer: Johannes Brahms
Work: Academic Festival Overture
Recording: Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell

#139 The Smell of Bread and Butter

I can smell a slice of bread in front of me. The music is spreading soft butter on it, the knife goes forth and back in flowing moves.

Karajan goes for fast tempo and shine. The recording is energizing and joyful.

Composer: Johannes Brahms
Work: Hungarian Dance No 5
Recording: Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan

#74 The Smell of Macaron

This music is tender like a macaron. One is scared it will be smashed, eaten, annihilated. It starts from nowhere and submerges to nowhere again, but its path goes heavenly high.

Young Ozawa puts a soft, glittering shell around the movement. Boston Symphony excels in tenderness and tonal color.

Composer: Johannes Brahms
Work: Symphony No 1, III. Un poco allegretto e grazioso
Recording: Boston Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa

#52 The Smell of Shaggy Garden

You're walking in a garden, it's late afternoon, the shadows are long. The garden is deprived, sometimes it's hard to find a path to walk on. Yet you can manage to go on, and in a while you're not really sure: am I really walking here or is it a dream? Weird trees are always in your way, you can see an alcove in a distance but you can never reach it.

Kempe's recording underlines the mystery of the garden, walking the line between real and unreal, balancing thirst and fear. The final chords are affirmative but not really telling what the truth is.

Composer: Johannes Brahms
Work: Tragic Overture
Recording: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Rudolf Kempe

#31 The Smell of Blue Skies

After the introduction, a cathedral is built. Its roof is missing, you can still see the blue skies. Very enjoyable piece of architecture.

Gardiner's account is grandiose, the sound is absorbent. Strict playing is combined with reckless joy. A peaceful movement that does not expect anything in reward. Enjoy.

Composer: Johannes Brahms
Work: Symphony No 2, IV. Allegro con spirito
Recording: Orchestre révolutionnaire et romantique, John Eliot Gardiner

#25 The Smell of Jump

They're jumping and jumping again... Two cats, playing a game we cannot understand. Slow down, quick start, fast, then slow again, turn around–and pretend nothing really happened.

Valrie Kantorski and Ann Almond Pope deliver amazing experience here, especially when you're used to the version for orchestra. Their dynamics and tempo are perfect, and the sound is anything but skinny.

Composer: Johannes Brahms
Work: Hungarian Dance No 6
Recording: Kantorski-Pope Duo