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Title: Anne-Sophie Mutter – Tchaikovsky, Korngold: Violin Concertos (2014)
Genre: Classical
Format: SACD ISO

Anne-Sophie Mutter’s second recording of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in 20 years, influenced by her work with contemporary music, features an abrasive tone, aggressive technique, and a forceful interpretation that treats the tender concerto with raw intensity, showcasing her virtuosity but bordering on willful or wrongful execution. In contrast, her performance of Korngold’s Violin Concerto, conducted by André Previn, is a triumph, with Previn’s sensitive conducting clarifying the structure and allowing Korngold’s neo-Romantic lines to sing and soar within a cogent framework. Mutter’s playing here is subtle, tasteful, and beautiful, free of contemporary music’s influence, resulting in one of the most compelling performances of the work ever recorded. Deutsche Grammophon’s transparent sound with slight reverberation enhances this persuasive rendition.

hraudio | allmusic | discogs

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Title: Anne-Sophie Mutter – Carmen Fantasie (1992/2005)
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Anne-Sophie Mutter obviously had fun making this disc. In the quiet pieces (Massenet, Ysaÿe, Fauré) which serve as interludes, she plays with her usual exquisite taste. In the showpieces, though, she goes to town, sliding, scooping, exaggerating, & letting all the stops out. The gypsy inflection she uses in Ravel’s Tzigane & Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen is delicious. Even a ridiculous orchestral arrangement of Tartini’s Devil’s Trill Sonata is more amusing than offensive. With James Levine & the Berlin Philharmonic providing uncommonly alert & powerful support, & Deutsche Grammophon’s realistic sound, this disc is a real treat for violin lovers.

hraudio | allmusic | discogs

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Title: Anne-Sophie Mutter – Beethoven: Violin Sonatas 5, 9 (2002)
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

This SACD transfer of Anne-Sophie Mutter’s Beethoven violin sonatas, taken from a series of live recordings from 1998, does not transcend the questionable interpretations. In each of these famous sonatas, Mutter takes excessive liberties with respect to dynamics and phrasing, and while some listeners may appreciate the thought and care she puts into these readings, it sounds as if she is trying a bit too hard to be “musical”. For example, just before the exposition repeat of the “Spring” sonata, several instances of disproportionate agogic pauses, inconsistent use of vibrato, random adherences to sforzando markings, and a sporadic disregard for (or recasting of) dynamics combine to produce an overly fussy performance that lacks momentum and a sense of direction.

hraudio | allmusic | discogs

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Title: Anne-Sophie Mutter – Beethoven: Violin Concerto, Romances (2003)
Genre: Classical
Format: SACD ISO

Mutter’s Beethoven Concerto was recorded live at the final subscription concerts of Karl Masur’s long tenure as the New York Philharmonic’s music director, and the beautifully played orchestral part is a tribute to his leadership. Mutter plays with a silken tone and astonishing technical command of her instrument–absolute ease in the stratospheric tessitura of the solo part, and an amazing array of microdynamic adjustments that display the infinite variety of pianissimos at her command. She continually varies phrasing, so moments of ethereal beauty are often followed by finicky lapses into mannerisms. For all her instrumental brilliance, the results are curiously unmoving, the depths of the music’s emotions remain elusive, her virtuosity veering perilously close to showboating at times.

hraudio | allmusic | discogs

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