 "Disconcerting allegro" | 2009-04-15 |
| - Reviewed By An Amazon User |
| http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41BA71B9GKL._SL75_.jpg While Mutter's violin work is masterful, exquisite, I found her very obvious pause in the famous early section of the allegro extremely disconcerting. I can't think of any other violinist who does this. It seems that, in order to "claim" a piece of music as their own, some famous musicians almost change the piece. Her allegro certainly isn't the way I think of it, or, I think, the way Brahms intended it. The orchestra is also not exactly united with her playing in sound quality. |
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| "Wonderful if you're a passionate romanticist" | 2009-03-28 |
| - Reviewed By Stan Vernooy from Henderson, NV |
I understand, and sympathize with, the rapturous reviews already given of this CD. Mutter is a great, great violinist, and her greatness stems largely from her courageous willingness to throw caution to the winds and immerse herself and her listeners into the intense passion of the music. That quality is here in spades, and the performance can easily sweep the listener away.
I disagree with those who criticize the squareness of Masur's accompaniment (and it isn't all that square anyway). The orchestra provides the foundation and discipline that give Mutter the freedom to play her part so romantically.
So why four stars instead of five? Well it seems to me that I hear some things which other reviewers don't hear, so maybe I'm just wrong. But I hear a few intonation problems in the first movement, and at the beginning of the third movement she seems to trip over herself in her headlong rush to get into the music. I grant that both of these problems are a direct result of her wonderful passion, but they can still be disconcerting to the listener.
The other recording of the Brahms with which I'm most familiar is the Oistrakh/Klemperer, and of course they keep a much tighter control over the music. Perhaps my familiarity with that performance is why I'm disturbed by the slight, and very occasional, loss of control in this performance.
Still and all, this is a wonderful recording. If you care enough about the music to want to own at least two versions of the Concerto, this should be one of the two.
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| "Uneven Greatness" | 2008-03-03 |
| - Reviewed By Kenneth S. Wheelock |
| I have several CD's and vinyl versions of Brahm's violin concerto. Ms Mutter's playing of the finale is certainly up there with the best and better than many of her contemporaries. But the NY Philharmonic is not up to her at the beginning; its ponderous and muddy and has a lack of focus that I find distracting. She really shows what she is capable of only in the third movement. I find the Schumann insipid (in my opinion his greatest achievement was recognizing Brahm's genius). This is a concert recording and to be fair there was only one take of the Brahms - Oh if only she had played it with the fire in her earlier recording of the Sarasate Carmen Fantasy we would have spell binder - but she didn't. Acoustically there are better recordings out there. Artistically this is simply not her best work. |
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| "Mutter holds the limelight but is let down by Masur" | 2006-07-22 |
| - Reviewed By Santa Fe listener |
Former child prodigy Anne-Sophie Mutter went on to become the glam lady in low-cut dresses. Now she's a mature musician and an acknowledged star. But she's also well known for her impulse toward over-refined, fussy playing. Here she starts off with a strike against her--the slack, lifeless introduction to the first movement from Masur. (Whatever miracle David Hurwitz hears in Masur's conducting has occurred in his own head.)
Then Mutter enters, and the level of musicianship rises dramatically. Her strong, assured playing holds the stage immediately. Compared to violinists whose ideas I admire (Kremer, Menuhin, Vengerov, Oistrakh, Shaham) she is a "personality" violinist who draws attention to herself at every moment. That said, Mutter carries you along, and her tone and technique are impeccable, at times mesmerizing.
After a first movement that could use more pace, the second is at normal speed (timing 9:20) and begins with lovely oboe work from the NY Phil's first chair. Mutter plays with a warm, burnished tone, and although she inflects the melody more than anyone else I've heard, her notions are appealing. She begins the finale forcefully, and at a timing of 7:55 the pace is moderate. Masur has waked up by now, and their collaboration produces the first real sparks of the performance. Mutter remains fully in charge to the end, helped by close-up miking that makes her louder than the orchestra.
In all, a good outing that should satisfy her legion of fans. The absence of a fifth star is entirely Masur's doing. |
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 "Schwing!" | 2006-02-01 |
| - Reviewed By grishaxxx |
I gained perspective on this Brahms performance because I lost my first copy, purchased when it had just been released and then much loved, and in the interim tried to find one that matched it. I was unsuccessful.
I grew up on the Perlman/Giulini - lush, sweet, robust - and have been very happy with the clean, super-accurate Hahn/Merriner set, too. But Mutter....ah, the freedom, the poetry she brings to this score! Every liberty with dynamics and rubato and tone-color pay off, make this warhorse (and masterpiece, of course) personal and intimate, moving for the player and for the listener. I have never heard the Brahms so penetrating, sung as if for the first time. One can't have too many fine performances, but this one is one of a kind. |
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| "A transporting experience" | 2006-01-30 |
| - Reviewed By epcol |
For many years I had listened to my mother's album of this concerto by Zino Francescatti, but decided to upgrade to a CD. I was concerned that no other version could measure up, but Anne Sophie Mutter had a dazzling interpretation and the NY Philharmonic complemented her nicely.
Simply exquisite - a joy to savor with a nice glass of wine after a rough day's work! |
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