| Mozart's five violin concertos were written in Salzburg around 1775. They are
notable for the beauty of their melodies and the skillful use of the expressive and technical characteristics of the instrument. Playing Mozart, says Anne-Sophie Mutter, is much more than a matter of playing him “beautifully”. It’s very much about bowing, and about the spaces between the notes. “With Mozart every note is precious, and has to be thought about – particularly as the orchestration leaves you so painfully exposed. The orchestration in the Romantic repertoire creates a seductive backdrop for you. But with Mozart every instrument has to be there at the right moment, and in the right taste and shape and tempo – and that demands high mastery from everybody. Maybe this daunting knowledge is what has prevented me from re-recording him sooner.” On the other hand, she regards much Mozart-playing as misconceived: “The approach these days is either over-virtuosic, and lacks elegance and purity and modesty – Tchaikovsky’s description of Mozart’s music as ‘angelic’ is exact. Mozart’s music is like an X-ray of your soul – it shows what is there, and what isn’t!” The concertos represent in her view an astonishingly rapid explosion of the composer’s genius, over a very short space of time. In 2012, Anne-Sophie Mutter was bestowed the Atlantic Council's Distinguished Aristic Leadership Award. She was awarded the Brahms prize, the Erich-Fromm prize and the Gustav-Adolf prize for her social involvement in 2011. In 2010 the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim awarded her an honorary doctorate; in 2009 she was distinguished with the European St. Ullrichs prize as well as the Cristobal Gabarron award. In 2008, Anne-Sophie Mutter was bestowed the International Ernst von Siemens Music prize and the Leipzig Mendelssohn prize. The violinist has received the Großes Bundesverdienstkreuz [Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany], the French Order of the Legion of Honour, the Bavarian Order of Honour, the Großes Österreichisches Ehrenzeichen [Grand Austrian State Decoration of Honour] as well as numerous other awards "The newer interpretations have plenty of zip and thrust and a greater rhythmic bounce than the earlier ones. Ms. Mutter entertains slightly quicker tempos than before, perhaps as a nod to the period-practice crowd. Still, these are essentially gentle, cultured, mature, and lyrical readings, never overstepping the bounds of tradition... Ms. Mutter is today better able to make her violin cry out in joy and passion. Her intonation, phrasing, style, and delivery are, as always, spot on, graceful and articulate... In terms of sound, the JVC remaster is hard to fault; it’s a tad close but sleek and polished, with no hint of distortion." - John J. Puccio, Classical Candor "Mutter plays with just the proper balance of technique, melodic harmony, and humor... She also understands that silence can enhance the musical experience, and Mutter uses it to do exactly that, though there is nothing slow or plodding about these performances... JVC has taken the tapes and, using their 24-bit XRCD mastering process, extracted every last nuance of the playing as well as the space between the notes to perfection. Mutter’s violin is placed where it should be, just left of center, and is incredibly well recorded. You can hear both the short, choppy bow strokes as well as the longer bowing clearly. The orchestra is equally well captured. The musicians are spread across the soundstage and with enough depth to make you feel you are at the recording session." - John Crossett, theaudiobeat.com, Rated 5/5 Music, 4.5/5 Sound! |
| Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
The Concertos for Violin and Orchestra Concerto No. 2 in D Major, K. 211 1. Allegro moderato 2. Andante 3. Rondeau (Allegro) Concerto No. 1 in B flat Major, K. 207 4. Allegro moderato 5. Adagio 6. Presto Concerto No. 4 in D Major, K. 218 7. Allegro 8. Andante cantabile 9. Rondeau (Andante grazioso - Allegro ma non troppo) |