Anne-Sophie Mutter

Yes, it's quite a claim. And yes, there's lots of room for argument. But, being an aficionado of Bach, classical violin, and JSB's violin concertos in particular, I'm willing to put my nickel down on Ms. Mutter's recording, especially of the A minor concerto.

From the opening notes, the piece is played with a sureness that never wavers, but doesn't play it as if strength was the most important quality. There's more body--and soul--in Mutter's version than in any other I've heard, and it successfully elevates the listener to the plane Bach intended. Mutter conducting as well as playing is no doubt key to the achievement. The A minor concerto simply cannot be played better than it is here, and the accompanying work by the Trondheim Soloists is magnificent.

The E Major concerto is just as sure and deft, but slightly less free and full than the A minor. Still stellar, it doesn't--by the barest of margins--maintain the coherence that Mutter and accompanists achieve in the A minor piece.

The disc concludes with the first-ever recording of Sophia Gubaidulina's "In tempus praesens", written by the Russian-living-in-Germany Gubaidulina as a work commissioned for Mutter. Written in 2006-07 after having been commissioned in the '80s, and first performed only in 2007, I believe, Mutter and the London Symphony, conducted by Valery Gergiev, here give an inspired performance of the the work. Gubaidulina is said to be highly inspired by Bach, and equally religious, and the work grows organically in a progression of struggle between good and evil as well as fate and free will. In five movements, the listener experiences the battle and feels the possibility of loss and defeat before finally having the sweet high of triumph.

Although allegedly inspired by Bach, the piece by Gubaidulina is decidedly modern, and only the faintest echoes of the baroque master are to be found. Though so decidedly different from the old and familiar Bach concertos, the Gubaidulina succeeds surprisingly well in this context.

If one is at all appreciative of Bach, this recording will reward the listening effort with art unsurpassed, and the experience of the culminating commissioned work by Gubaidulina is uniquely sweet. Mutter has with this established herself as one of the all-time masters.

This is a wonderful production because it combines the old and the new in the best artistic manner. Anne Sophie Mutter leads us thru a very powerful and rich Violin concerto, a composition of J. S. Bach. Sofia Gubaidulina has been one of my favorate "modern" composers for a long time and I know her work very well. She dedicated the Violin Concerto "In Tempus Praesens" to A.S.Mutter. It is an intelligent and deeply movimg piece, portraying our time, as says the title. Two congenial women at their best!
Yael Niemeyer

Beautiful and masterly matched are these two Bach's concertos with Gubaidulina's last violin concerto. These performances are enhanced by the magic and personal touch of Anne-Sophie Mutter in the interpretation of the three concertos. Personally I like the "new old way" of approaching Bach and the wonderful feeling transmitted during the whole development of Gubaidulina's concerto. The company of the Trondheim Soloists in Bach and Valery Gergiev with the London Symphony orchestra in Gubaidulina are detached and emphasized when soloists or the whole orchestra joins the soloist.

"I am a religious person...and by 'religion' I mean re-ligio, the re-tying of a bond...restoring the legato of life. Life divides man into many pieces...There is no weightier occupation than the recomposition of spiritual integrity through the composition of music." --Sofia Gubaidulina

"In tempus praesens" (2007 -- 32'45) is an absolutely stunning new violin concerto. Promised long ago to Anne-Sophie Mutter by Sofia Gubaidulina, it was finally finished in 2006/2007, and premiered at the Lucerne Festival in August 2007, performed by Mutter and the Berlin Philharmoniker with Simon Rattle conducting. For this premiere recording Valery Gergiev leads the London Symphony Orchestra. The now 77-year-old composer has been intimately involved in both of these premieres, supervising the rehearsals and insuring that her vision is conveyed.

"In tempus praesens" features a nearly unbroken solo line, a virtuoso vehicle for Mutter and surely many others to come. Though seemingly depicting a spiritual journey like her first violin concerto Offertorium (1980 -- 35'34 -- see my review), this new piece presents the soloist with less orchestral accompaniment, perhaps more purely. The orchestra menaces periodically, but not with as much vehemence as in the earlier work. And if the ending is not entirely unambiguous, the radiant rising tones of the violin nonetheless sound victorious. For Gubaidulina music always conveys a deep spiritual significance and, no matter how much she has been influenced by Webern, there is always a clear meaning to every note -- though there are no lyrics, this is not abstract, non-representational music. There are tones for good (generally high and major key), and for evil (generally low and minor key). An Orthodox Christian, her vision is practically Zoroastrian in its binary purity -- Light versus Darkness.

The two Sophies, Sofia and Anne-Sophie, seem to see it as natural to include violin concertos by Bach along with Gubaidulina, as Bach is a major influence on the Russian/Tatar composer. However, the music does not sound at all similar, structural or harmonic influences notwithstanding. It seems more likely to me that this was a marketing decision -- Bach will clearly outsell Gubaidulina, and so more people will probably buy this as a Mutter disc, or a Mutter/Bach disc than as a Gubaidulina or Mutter/Gubaidulina disc-with-Bach-thrown-in like me. On the bright side, this may mean that Sofia gains more listeners than she would otherwise. But we can still regret that Anne-Sophie did not record a new performance of "Offertorium" for this DG release.

As for the Bach concertos, they sound great. The melodies are instantly recognizable, some of the most memorable in all of classical music. Both of these works were later turned into keyboard concertos by Bach as well -- the recordings by Murray Periahia and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields of the "Concerto No. 3 in D Major" (Violin Concerto for E Major) and "Concerto No. 7 in G Minor" (Violin Concerto in A Minor) are sparkling and wonderful (Bach: Keyboard Concertos Nos. 3, 5, 6, 7).

All in all, one of the classical recording events of the year!

See my list SOFIA GUBAIDULINA: A LISTENER'S GUIDE for more by one of the best composers of our time, as well as my list THE TEN BEST LATE 20TH CENTURY COMPOSERS.

I had the pleasure of listening to Anne-Sophie Mutter play the JS Bach violin concertos BWV 1041, BWV 1042 and BWV 1043 during her recent concert in East Lansing, Michigan. So I had to get this CD when I found out about it. I thought the recording was excellent, although I still preferred the live performance. Then I compared this with her previous recording with EMI. This newer DG recording is still Anne-Sophie, but I found her playing to be more mature and sublime.
Not knowing what to expect of Gubaidulina, it took me two listenings to appreciate it. On the second listening, I found myself floating in a meditative state! Thank you for the music, and thank you for the experience.

Nothing more to add.

Other users have said much.

I recommend. Anne Sophie mutter once again made an excellent job.

Anne Sophie Mutter shows her Karajan's legacy. She played in a perfect way. The music she developed is something amazing. Her technique is so mature, very academical, very german.

Mozart violin concertos (most 3 & 5th) are one of the finest creations and this material is so well performed that can provoke addiction to Mutter's recordings (I take for granted that Mozart is very addictive).

Simply Precious.

I wil be brief. These remarable pieces are played beautifully and insightfully by Ms. Mutter. No Mozart worshiper should be without these recordings.

Every so often you find an almost perfect performance and recording that leaves you smiling and shaking your head in awe: Mutter Mozart -- The Violin Concertos and Sinfonia Concertante is definitely one of those.

Ms. Mutter's power, range, and stylistic sophistication are at their acme. She soars ethereally where it's required, sings sweetly in slow rhythms, and pushes forward like a commander where that's what's called for. The London Philharmonic is beautifully in concert with her every move and timing. Yuri Bashmet's viola in Sinfonia Concertante is equally sublime.

For those who first knew Ms. Mutter's Mozart playing when she was but a budding teen, it's fun to see how much her skill and interpretive abilities have expanded in 30 years. It's astonishing to see someone with that much experience can still appear quite young. And of course, there's the irony to appreciate of Ms. Mutter now being older than Mozart was at his death.

Above all this is a confident performance by players who know Mozart well, understand what they want to accomplish, and are in complete accord with what needs to be done. The bright optimism and energy of Mozart are beautifully displayed . . . reminding us with wonder of how his own life was often filled with problems even as he produced such astonishingly bright works one right after the other.

If you like Ms. Mutter and Mozart, I encourage you to purchase this two CD-set and the four CD-set, Mozart: The Violin Sonatas.

I bought this CD set a couple of months back. I'm glad to to say that I've enjoyed it throughly so far. I also have a copy of the rather polished recording of Violin Concertos 3 and 5 that Mutter made with Karajan, and I find the new one seems to have greater energy and emotions. Both the set of recordings are to be cherished in their own right.

The Sinfonia Concertante is to die for! I've not heard a better recording, especially the Presto.

I bought this recording because Anne-Sophie Mutter's Autumn on her Meditation CD is so lovely -- but that version, as it turns out, was conducted by Von Karajan. The playing on this version is brilliant, but it's just too brilliant for me: the attack is so loud and aggressive that I couldn't settle down and enjoy the music nor even listen to the whole thing. The big lesson for me is to buy versions of her recordings in which she herself is not the conductor. I plan to donate this one to the local library and get the complete Von Karajan version. But in no way is this bad playing. It's just a matter of taste. If you like loud, flashy music, you will love this recording.

I know it's a matter of taste but this recording is so alive and refreshing. Yeah, it's not on period instruments and there are some other really good interpretations out there that you may feel are better. BUT! how can you listen to this and deny it's beauty? Perhaps it's too unconventional. But therein lies the beauty of it. Even if it's unique doesn't make it inferior. Quite the contrary.

Anne-Sophie Mutter plays with grace and vivid expression. The Trondheim Soloists support her like true friends. Even if one argues that it's not true to form, it still is fabulously played in my book. I love it and am proud to keep it in my library along with two or three other fine interpretations of Vivaldi's: The Four Seasons.

It's easy to get used to listening to near-perfect recordings and performances of The Four Seasons. With so many recordings available, you can have your pick of styles.

I remember confidently ordering tickets for a local group's performance of The Four Seasons in Salzburg one summer. How could I go wrong? The performance started off in fine fashion. The soloist was huge, confident, and energetic. The rest of the group was solid and enthusiastic. But after about 12 minutes, the soloist began to come apart at the seams. He couldn't complete the difficult sections in Summer. The group would restart and restart. I was fascinated.

I had almost forgotten that experience when I first listened to this recording. Such violin soloist flubs are unknown in the mature Anne-Sophie Mutter's recordings. But I was astonished to find that her supporting cast of Trondheim Soloists (led by Bjarne Fiskum and including soloists Byvind Gimse, and Knut Johannesen) was apparently playing a different piece, and not very well. Ms. Mutter is also credited as conductor. I suspect that she should have scheduled many more practices.

The recording also has moments when another take would have been in order.

But I learned something valuable from listening to Ms. Mutter soar about the muddled noise: It matters who else is playing with you for The Four Seasons.

If you are an Anne-Sophie Mutter fan (as I am), you'll undoubtedly want to listen to this CD. But I think you'll be more pleased if you limit yourself to the first allegro from Spring from The Four Seasons for 3 minutes and 36 seconds during which the Trondheim Soloists perform okay in the Simply Anne-Sophie CD. Good editing choice there.

I graded Anne-Sophie's playing as a five, the recording quality as a four, and the Trondheim Soloists as a 1.

Only a die-in-the-wool traditionalist will dislike this fine Deutsche Grammophon recording of Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons", which I regard as the best recording of it that I've heard, surpassing classic ones from the likes of I Musici. Indeed, the venerable Penguin Guide to Classical Music not only has given it its highest starred rating, but has noted succinctly that this recording is among the best available. And it's no wonder, considering the superb playing from the great German violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Trondheim Soloists, especially from harpsichord player Knut Johannesen, whose own splendid musicianship ranks favorably with, for example, Trevor Pinnock. I was quite impressed that musically, this relatively unknown Norweigan chamber music ensemble could offer a performance as memorable as any from the English Consort and I Musici, but to their everlasting credit, they have done so in this rather fresh, quite vivid interpretation of Vivaldi's most popular works for harpsichord and strings. As for Mutter, she shows substantial dynamic range in her own virtuoso playing, offering, for example, in "L'Inverno" (Winter), a truly impassioned, yet icy, performance. Unlike the Penguin Guide, I was equally impressed with Mutter's playing and the Trondheim Soloists's interpretation of Tartinai's "Devil's Trill" Sonata in G minor. Without question, this fine recording remains among Mutter's best, and one which I look forward to hearing frequently for years to come.

The title says it all. This is the cd to compare to all other performances of this work. Very similar to Karajan's interpretation. So if you like his then you'll love this.
Mutter is at her best and pulls off the visual images in her playing better than any other I've heard. You can feel the summer storm and the chill of the winter concerto. the Trondheim Soloist keep pace and drive the performance in a grand way.
One of my favorites.

The same day I received this CD of Brahm's violin concerto with Anne-Sophie I heard, after listening to her version, a performance of another violinist playing live with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. I was shocked how ordinary his performance sounded even though the audience gave him a strong ovation at the finish.

Her renditions of widely known works are in a class by themselves. She has so much expressiveness used wisely and effortlessly you forget the limitations of the instrument and technique. She doesn't seem to have any. Since David Oistrakh, the Soviet violinist whose recordings end by 1960 or so, she is the finest I have heard.

Some say her earliest (and she was a child prodigy) performances are the most exciting. I've heard her play Sibelius' concerto and I don't notice anything but a continuation of her genius on the instrument. If you are like me, you will want to get every performance she has recorded.

If you haven't heard these recordings, you have a nice surprise ahead of you. The Mendelssohn dates from 1981 and the Brahms from 1982. Because of the recording dates, you've got the young protege, Anne-Sophie Mutter, firmly under the leadership of the old master, Herbert von Karajan, with that marvelous orchestra to draw on for generous support.

Ms. Mutter has never been closer since then to the gentler ways of performing these pieces as she is here. The accompaniment is very well balanced and perfectly complements the solos.

Being used to a lot of fire from Ms. Mutter, some may complain that these performances aren't sizzling enough.

I found that her interpretation of Mendelssohn was delightfully restrained which allowed for the heavenly aspects of the piece to emerge. I was equally pleased with her Brahms where her violin seems to literally sing to us in a beautiful human voice. Beneath the surface, you can feel the controlled power of Mutter, von Karajan, and the Berlin Philharmonic. It's like watching heavyweights delicately dancing ballet to exquisite chamber music. You know there's the power there to blow us away, but that they want to enrapture us instead.

This recording will appeal most to people who like to hear classic pieces of the repertoire performed in ways that aren't the typical fare.

Herbert von Karajan's smooth orchestral sound was much more suited to some composers than others; unfortunately the composers that it was not suited to comprise the majority of the standard Teutonic repertoire. In particular the music of Brahms becomes flat, lifeless and boring under his approach, when in the hands of many other conductors it is inuered with a profound lyricism unsurpassed by any other composer. I don't think there was any other composer who Karajan was so awful at conducting, and so any of his Brahms recordings should be avoided. If you want recordings by Karajan go for late romantic and modern music where the greater orchestral complexity and amount of dissonance counteract the smooth superficiality evident in his classical and early romantic performances, and presents the music with clarity of texture.

Ms. Mutter is one of the best violinists in the world, with both a remarkable attention to detail as well as perceptive musical insight, and plays extremely well here in spite of Karajan's interpretation of the score. I haven't heard her recording of the Brahms Concerto with Kurt Masur but that would probably be were to look for a performance of this concerto by her.

The Mendelssohn Concerto also suffers from the same lacklustre conducting from Karajan, although he is not quite as bad with this concerto as with the Brahms.

Even though I consider Karajan the greatest maestro of his generation, as an accompanist he tended to exhibit faults I don't find when he's on his own. In both these concertos there's a concern for overall smoothness, mellow tone, and precise balance. Karajan's lovely young protegee, Mutter, matches his approach perfectly. She spins one of the most consistent tones of any violinist and shows no desire to crowd the spotlight. The result wins admiration for being harmonious, but where's the individuality and drama?

In the Mendelssohn concerto we get dreamy melodic lines but no real delight and magic--it's all rather charmless, without joy. Mutter is careful not to show off with brilliant pyrotechnics, which is too bad--if you're going to dazzle, this is one work that will take off into ethereal heights. The Brahms finds Karajan developing a broad sound picture that's simply too bland. The rugged, struggling temperament of this composer has been carefuly suppressed, and at no times does Mutter seem to throw caution to the wind. Having said that, I much prefer this reading to the celebrated EMI recording with Perlman and Giulini--it's even more faceless and correct.

Of course, tastes differ, and I must confess that Mutter never went on to make any recordings I really love, so perhaps I should be discounted as a non-fan. If you value precise technique and clean tone without much 'intervention" on the soloist's part, here you are. I will stick with Menuhin/Furtwangler, Heifetz/Reiner, and Mullova/Abbado, among quite a few that shine with more vibrancy than this CD.

I know that both anne-sophie mutter and hilary hahn are both exceptional musicians, but i personally think that hilary hahn has the better mendelssohn recording. the first movement just has more energy... as well as more motion and dynamics that make it so beautiful to listen to.

I'm just a classical music neophyte so I can't speak to how this compares to other musicians renditions of Mozart's Violin Sonatas, but I liked this very much.

OK, so I bought this set because of the sexy cover photo. So shoot me. Listening to it I was struck by how difficult it seems to get a smooth, life-like recording of the violin on standard "Red Book" CDs.

Her playing is technically perfect, of course, but the styling is sometimes overdone to my taste. since listening to this set, I bought a classic vinyl set by Gruemaix (sp) in mono no less. I much prefer that.

Great cover photo!

As being played through Windows Media there is no visualization of album cover nor its programme on screen. The rest of this Deutshe Grammophon product is first class sound quality.

Anne-Sophie Mutter's cd is one of the best I have experenced in a long time. It was well worth the money. I highly reccomend this CD to classical listeners around the world.

If you want violin, mozart, top notch world class interpretation, you want this ablum.

That's it.

It's a fine concerto Sofia Gubaidulina has written for the Anne-Sophie Mutter. She - Sophia Gubaidulina, that is - may well be the most gifted of that famous group of post-Soviet, post-Modern composers, Alfred Schnittke, Arvo Part, Giya Kancheli, Valentin Silvestrov and Edison Denisov. The Concerto is romantic, an updated, modernized romanticism, the romanticism of musician who has heard Witold Lutoslawski's 4th Symphony. One of the highlights of the piece starts around minute 18:50, with a dramatic triple chord repeated for nearly three minutes & violin monologue on top. Also, mysterious violins starting near minute 3, wondrous woodwinds at minute 6:23, and interesting wind-like effect at minute 25 (flutes or picolos?) - there again, as with the latter Lutoslawski, a romantic feel combined with contemporary effects. It's all in the balance you strike and Sofia Gubaidulina is balanced enough.

If you utter the word "Georgia" in front of Valery Gergiev before a performance, he gets kinda rough on the music. What can one expect, of the nephew of Stalin's favorite tank maker? LOL. On the day this was recorded, though, no one uttered the faithful word - unless it's the charms of Anne-Sophie Mutter that mollified Vladimir Putin's best buddy. In short, this is a good recording.

Mutter is a good violonist and the Bach concerti are beyond praise. What else could one ask for? The wondrous thing about Bach is he can satisfy both sides of the brain, the mathematical and the emotional, at the same time. Balance. Sometimes Haydn and Mozart accomplish the same feat. After them, deluges, eruptions, revolutions, calamities gallore, followed by descent into mediocrity: John Adams. LOL.

Be that as it may, why do they say Bach is Baroque? He is all equilibrium & balance, like a classic. Not like that ever mishapen upholder of incoherence and ugliness in the Arts, Michelangelo.

Highly recommended, this recording...

I purchased this CD because I adore the music of Spanish composers. I quickly discovered that "Symphonie espagnole" is a wonderful piece of music, and so is this recording. From the first movement onward, the themes are clear and precise, and I enjoyed the expressive qualities throughout the recording.

The stunning music of the second movement is cheerful and frolicsome, which reminds me of the youngest stage of life when human innocence masks responsibility. As I listen I am reminded of the carefree moments in early childhood where all things seem to take care of themselves. I am not surprised that this movement is the shortest of all five movements, because the carefree stage in childhood is also the most fleeting and most coveted space in time.

The third movement begins with a simple fanfare, and then builds into more complex articulations, which Anne-Sophie Mutter handles with absolute grace. In the final cadence, Lalo composes a startling double-forte staccato to shock the senses and end the movement.

The forth movement is filled with despair and tragedy. Unavoidably, a despairing shock must eventually push us forward into our search for reality and truth. No one leaves the world unscathed.

The fifth movement is a brilliant coming of age celebration. Tragedy is something that we learn to endure with grace. What other choice do we have? Happiness and prosperity are possible even alongside pain. This final movement celebrates the life we are given, for better or for worse.

Anne-Sophie Mutter, Seiji Ozawa, and the Orchestre National de France deliver an outstanding performance of "Symphonie espagnole". I also thoroughly enjoyed their recording of Sarasate's "Zigeunerweisen" (Gypsy Dances), which begins softly, but ends with an upbeat dance tempo. On the last track, Karajan conducts Anne-Sophie Mutter alongside the Berliner Philharmoniker as they perform the french composer Jules Massenet's "Meditation", which is an incredibly moving performance.

In conclusion, all who are interested should buy these recordings. Anne-Sophie Mutter is a wonderful violinist and does not disappoint, and the same goes for the conductors and orchestras.

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I have never loved the violin. I have never loved Zigeunerweisen. I have always been ambivalent about Ozawa.

Now I love all three, at least for the duration of this performance.

I have always loved EMI, however, and rate this recording at the top for sound, as well. A violin must be recorded perfectly and played back on only the best equipment for me to tolerate it. Particularly if digital. Normally, I cannot stand a violin CD, much preferring analog. But EMI got it right here.

Zigeunerweisen has been the temptation of so many over-the-top violinists, that I have grown tired of it of late. It is the type of music that invites excess, but seldom rewards it. But ms Mutter does it so well, with such dramatic pacing and dynamics that I am literally on the edge of my seat every time I hear it. She has all the stylistic and dynamic extremes of her cohorts, but somehow manages to pull it off with class and delicacy. Delicacy is not a word I would normally use for Zigeunerweisen. I have to ride the gain to get everything out of the softer passages (and, they ARE soft), and then run it lower to avoid being blasted by the less-quiet passages. This is not car music unless you have really good equipment and the vehicle is stopped.

And she and Ozawa seem made for each other. They are of one mind and body in this performance.

Oh, yeah, the other stuff on the CD is great, too.

This is my first experience with Lalo's Symphonie espagnole, so I do not have a basis for comparison, but being a violin music fan, I have heard a few violin concertos with different artists, from the virtuoso to the romantic, and this great recording fits somewhere in the middle. Anne-Sophie Mutter's tone is delicate but fierce, and precise but somehow fragile; her performance in these three showpieces is outstanding, sometimes it sounds like she is playing on the edge of losing control of the pieces, but she makes no mistake and resolves all the technical challenges in the music with ease. Maybe that is what makes this record worthwhile, it has an intense emotion which goes beyond the technical mastery to evolve into a brilliant musical experience. The only downside is the short duration of the record, but the music on it is excellent, and for a discount price, it is hard to get a better record for your money.

Anne-Sophie Mutter's recording of Lalo's Symphonie Espagnole remains the most satisfying recording of this piece. Most recordings suffer from being at one of two extremes: too light and feminine, lacking in the dramatic Spanish bravura the piece needs (Chee-Yun and Chang); or overly masculine and serious, missing the playful fun Lalo crafted into the piece (Zuckerman and Perlman). Mutter's performance strikes a perfect balance between these two extremes, succeeding in conveying passionate fervor without losing sight of the humerous romp that it is. The orchestral accompaniment--Seiji Ozawa conducting the French National Orchestra--is a perfect complement to Mutter's flawless playing, maintaining just the right tempos throughout, unlike the other recordings which are either too drawn out (Chee-Yun) or too speedy (Zuckerman). My only reservation concerns the sound which, while digital and bright, lacks the clarity that truly great digital recordings offer. However, the imperfect sound will not detract from the nearly perfect performance!
The CD comes with two shorter works, Sarasate's Gypsy-inspired Zigeunerweisen and Massanet's dramatic Thais Meditation. The Sarasate is given a delightfully virtuosic performance which won't fail to bring a smile to your face. The Massenet is given a particularly powerful reading, accompanied by a Berlin Philharmonic (led by Karajan) in top form, especially the strings. We get all this at budget price, even though this release contains more music (the Massenet) than the original release! An absolute must for fans of Lalo's Symphonie Esoagnole
and for fans of Anne-Sophie Mutter.

This is THE Christmas CD for the holidays. It has all the beautiful Christmas songs you want. Kiri Te Kanawa's version of Schubert's Ave Maria will bring tears to your eyes, Gabriel Faure's performance of Pie Jesu from Requim is simply beautiful, and the English Concert Choir's performance of Handel's Hallelujah from Messiah will take your breath away. This is a great buy and will be treasured all year long.

The virtuoso as cute tyke has always been a winning attraction, and here Mutter is at her youngest and most sparkling. The abuandant mannerisms are still years off, and her playing comes across as brilliant but natural and unforced. There are no gerat insights, but we don't expect them from one so young. Mutter's secret weapon on this CD is Karajan, who gives her accompaniments that are vibrant and full of brio. In fact, it's ironic that this recording might be the best Mozart Karajan ever recorded. The Berlin Phil. actually plays with charm; this is Mozart in a smiling mood. Neither Concerto #3 nor #5 is a masterpiece by any stretch, and I would hesitate to buy a ticket to hear them in concert, but they make a lovely vehicle for Mutter on disc. By the way, DG's sound is still a bit shrill and metallic as far as the violin is concerned, even in this remastering.

I listened to other's Mozart Violin Concerto recording but none really comes close like this. Unlike other's uncertain interpretation of Mozart, her interpretation and intonation are confident, solid and perfect. I don't think no one else can play Mozart like Mutter does.

It's a gimme at this level the technique is there, as we find on this CD, regardless of the age of the solist. However, von Karajan's interpretation seems hastily prepared, with a legato strategy that smothers the subtle contrasts in articulation, tempo and dynamics that is a central part of Mozart's essence. Szell's versions are a real cut above this.

This is Anne-Sophie's first recording of Mozart, and her first recording ever I think. Here she plays the concertos with a modern listener's approach, more romantically. Mutter is true to Mozart though, and does not take away anything and definitely adds purity, and absolute sweetness of tone to these works. This recording of Mozart is more original and "pure" than her most recent one that has just come out.

I'd say it's a must buy for Mozart and Anne-Sophie lovers alike.

Perhaps Mutter's youth saved her from over-coloring these favorite Mozart concertos. Karajan's BPO, as usual, plays with just the right balance. The performance is in all ways wonderful and sparkles. Good recording quality too, considering its D-G.