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29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best 'Carmen' on CD - ASM is no Vanessa Mae!, June 11, 2000
Richard Morrison in his appreciation of Anne-Sophie Mutter, given here in the booklet, accurately describes this disc as a "feast of lollipops", but with the flavours well-varied. It is unashamedly a fun record, and even Mutter has rarely played with such freedom and warmth, obviously enjoying these display pieces every bit as much as the repertory concertos and new works that are her staple diet. The gipsy flavours of the two Sarasate pieces, as well as of Ravel's Tzigane, sound even more exotic than usual, and rarely have I heard the brilliant sound section, with its Hungarian fire, sound quite so exciting with a stunning accelerando at the end. The tender repose which she then brings to the Massenet "Meditation" is thus all the more affecting. Sarasate's Carmen Fantasy, which provides the whole disc with its title, is as high-powered as the Ravel, and I was fascinated to compare it with Itzhak Perlman's 1972 version with Lawrence Foster and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for EMI, which has long been a favourite of mine and which reappeared on their four-disc Perlman compilation. In all five sections (each given separate tracks) Mutter is even more sharply characterful than Perlman in her expressive inflexions and underlining. And she clearly gains in the ease of her performance, seeming to try less hard and therefore to convey more of the fun of the piece. I prefer it, when over and over again it tickles one's funny-bone. With James Levine and the Vienna Philharmonic providing Mutter with weighty and committed accompaniment, I have to say her performance thrusts home even more powerfully than Perlman's. As for the previous reviewer's comment about her playing - well, let me just suggest it might be time for a hearing aid. Ms. Mutter's performance from a technical standpoint was flawless. Fairly enough Mutter treats the Tartini sonata not as an eighteenth-century work so much as another piece in the same vein as the rest, using the Zandonai arrangement and taking a heavyweight view. Few CDs truly deserve the five stars they are given. As you might guess, I believe this is one of them.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gorgeously fun fun fun!!!!!, February 5, 2001
Anne-Sophie Mutter's sensuously dulcet tone is wonderfully suited to most of the works featured on this disc. It is a real fun record, sometimes overly exaggerated but why not? It is not often that musicians make fun of music; mostly music is serious, and one needs some fun from time to time.The opening Zigeunerweisen is an interpretation that has bowled me over because of its daring assertiveness. I don't think that I've heard such a risk-taking playing of this work (most notable in the finale. The tempo is at breakneck speed and Mutter succeeds effortlessly!). The Tzigane, another of the gypsy-themed works on the disc, is wonderfully free. I never thought that Mutter had it in her to play so un-Germanically (all serious and all romantic). This is really gypsy-music at its best. Her technique is formidable and it comes to gooduse in this wrist-breaking work. Listen to her exquisite glissandi and rhythmic tautness: it's simply breathtaking! The Devil's Trill sonata is another matter though. It is the one work that I don't enjoy as much as the others becuase it is simply too schmaltzy. Everything is exaggerated overtly and the use of a piano instead of a harpsichord doesn't help matters. Otherwise all the other works are wonderfully fun. The Carmen Fantasy is gutsy. Mm-Mm! Delicious stuff, and to end the Faure Berceuse is so sweet that it would make any kid go to sleep (a berceuse is after all, a lullaby!). The VPO and Maestro Levine do a superb job in supporing her, with the orchestra responding well to Mutter's phrasings. All in all, a wonderful feast of lollipops! And they are not merely lollipops: thanks to Mutter they are really sweet lollipops!!! Enjoy it while you can!
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best I've heard so far, May 2, 2005
Many musicians play with with brains, only few do with hearts - And even fewer pour their hearts out with consistency are legends. Mutter had seemingly rewritten the arrangement and absorbed it so solidly which led to a performance that blooms with such great passion and distinct personality aided by her transcendental techniques. I had felt an instant connection with her the very first time I heard it. It's also sonically pleasing even to the audiophiles. It's a recording for music fans who truely understand and appreciate music on a very sophisticated level...
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~ Anne-Sophie Mutter
~ Johannes Brahms
~ Ludwig van Beethoven
~ Alfredo d' Ambrosio
by Maurice Ravel 
