Brahms: Violin Concerto; Schumann: Fantasie, Op. 131

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
Miracles CAN happen! Anne-Sophie Mutter is a great violinist, no doubt about it (and the highest paid classical performer in Germany, according to some sources). Kurt Masur is reliable, but rarely inspired. Well, here's one of those evenings where everything went just right, for this is a Brahms concerto that stands shoulder to shoulder with the great recordings of the past. Mutter plays with her customary scrupulous attention to detail, but also with a more than usual dose of passion and fire, especially in the zippy finale. Masur follows her like a shark on the scent of blood, providing accompaniments that are sharply characterized and rhythmically taut--simply stunning. --David Hurwitz

Tracks:

Konzert fur Violine und Orchester D-dur op.77: Allegro non troppo
Konzert fur Violine und Orchester D-dur op.77: Adagio
Konzert fur Violine und Orchester D-dur op.77: Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo vivace - Poco piu presto
Fantasie fline und Orchester C-dur op. 131: Moderato semplice ma espressivo

Amazon.com essential recording

Miracles CAN happen! Anne-Sophie Mutter is a great violinist, no doubt about it (and the highest paid classical performer in Germany, according to some sources). Kurt Masur is reliable, but rarely inspired. Well, here's one of those evenings where everything went just right, for this is a Brahms concerto that stands shoulder to shoulder with the great recordings of the past. Mutter plays with her customary scrupulous attention to detail, but also with a more than usual dose of passion and fire, especially in the zippy finale. Masur follows her like a shark on the scent of blood, providing accompaniments that are sharply characterized and rhythmically taut--simply stunning. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Mutter holds the limelight but is let down by Masur.......2006-07-22

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.

Schwing!.......2006-02-01

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.

A transporting experience.......2006-01-30

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!

Inspiration Violin Concerto Pairing.......2005-03-27

This is fabulous pairing of two great violin concertos passionately performed by a rising star in Mutter.

Both of these pieces were inspired for the violinist Jospeh Joachim. The Schumann piece was new for this reviewer but was hauntingly striking and lyrical. Rarely performed, this is a delight in its improvisational character.

The Brahms piece is done with excellent speeds in its three movements, and the passionate playing of Mutter seems to propel and lead the NY Philharmoic led by Masur. I am in love with the sharp turn taken in the ritonelle with the oboe measures backed by wonderful winds and especially horn intruded upon by the reappearing violin which then proppels itself off into a glorious new branch of the melody.

Best Brahms Violin Concerto.......2004-11-27

I think that the previous users who reviewed this cd with 5 stars well expressed how magnificent, intense and perfect is this live recording of both Brahms COncerto and Shumann Fantasie.
So I decided to review the cd only to add a 5 stars vote!
The most admirable thing of both pieces is for me the perfect union between orchestra and soloist: Mr Masur with the NYO let Mrs Mutter express all her formidable tecnique combined with her unique, marvellous, sense of interpretation.
With this recording, all the previous will appear flat...
The last thing I'd like to add is my happiness for the Shumann Fantasie: it's so a beautyful (and scary for the tecnique) piece but unfortunately it is so unusual as beautyful...There are no recordings of this undiscovered, brilliant and extremely difficult piece!
So I recommend the Cd also for the performance of the Sh. Fantasie.

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