Customer Reviews

Mendelssohn, Bruch: Violin Concertos

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a review for Ms Mutter's recording of the Bruch. If you have never heard the beauty of this concerto you don't know what you're missing!

My favorite recordings of the wonderful Bruch Concerto One are by Kyung Wha Chung and Pinchas Zukerman who both played with incredible beauty. What I found liberating about this recording is Ms Mutter's willingness to stretch out with her feelings. I think that she recieves alot of criticism for her personalized interpretations that stray from the composer's intent but come on, who wants to her it played the same way over and over? I believe this is her intention: to deliver a highly personalized performance full of an individualized style. That is certainly the case here, Ms Mutter delivers a wonderful Bruch that is expanded with her ideas especilly with respect to rythm and tempo.

An individualized approach to a great work keeps the piece fresh as though it were a different piece of music, I still enjoy listening to this recording after many years of listening. Other than that, we get to look at another photo of her gorgeous face and that is another bonus for me.

Thanks Annie!

These are two of the most popular violin concertos in the repertoire and both are highly Romantic, so this should be a dream pairing. Well, in the hands of Ann Sophie Mutter and Herbert von Karajan, it is.

Ms. Mutter's playing comes across as effortless. For me the hallmark of virtuosity is that the playing doesn't come across as virtuoso but as completely natural. The accompaniment by the Berlin ensemble is very lush and always empathetic to Ms. Mutter's performance.

Although both pieces are performed flawlessly, I find the Mendelssohn to be demonstration worthy. Put this on this when you have friends over without saying anything. If they don't demand to know what CD it is, they're no great fans of music.

A fantastic record - a unique combination of von Karajan and his "protegee" Anne-Sophie Mutter, who gave an excellent, mature performance of these concertos at the age of 18. Needless to say that the recording quality of DG (DDD in 1981) is astounding, and the Berlin Philharmonic has rarely been in a more romantic mood - with the necessary power, if necessary.

One of my favorite recordings!

I have had this CD for many years now, and have just ordered another to give to a friend. A beautifully sympathetic recital of both pieces. The final movement of the Mendelssohn has always been a favourite of mine. Technically brillant and dramatically romantic in style.

I am a huge fan of the Bruch #1. This is an excellent CD but...

There are two problems with this recording:

First is the quality of the sound. It is clearly uneven. It almost sounds like a live recording instead of a closed hall. I expect to hear someone in the audience cough or clap at any moment. There is sometimes an odd echo that gives off weird tones. I understand trying to capture the spirit of a live performance and all...
***(Though someone please add a comment if this IS in fact a live recording. I could find no mention of it though. If it is then I will immediately revise this review).

The other issue is that Karajan is conducting a little aggressively. I know, I know... it's Karajan... but listening to him conduct other concertos or the Mozart symphonies 39-41 I know he can ease off a little. Often the symphony overshadows Mutter's amazing playing.

The actual playing by Mutter deserves 5 stars. I just wish this was a better recording of it. Overall the Bell version is cleaner and crisper and still has good power and feeling: Bruch, Mendelssohn: Violin Concertos.

But music is a matter of personal taste and this is merely my opinion. I do think that this is a very VERY deserving piece to have in your collection (as I do).

In my opinion, this 1980 rendition of Bruch`s most famous concerto for the violin, without doubt, ranks in my top five regarding this opus. Yes, I realize that the orchestra does tend to be a little too front-and-center at times. However, this does not detract from the overall performance and result: an expansive and luscious reading of this concerto.
Although not as memorable as the Bruch, Mutter`s Mendelssohn performance with HVK and the Berlin is quite consistently fine throughout. The Andante, clocked at 9 and a half minutes, is heartbreaking, and is undoubtedly the highlight of the concerto. A few other performances of the Mendelssohn do top this one. The one which comes easily to mind is Chung/Dutoit/Montreal on Decca from 1981, which is the frontrunner.

Let me admit right off that I am not a fan of Mutter's, early or late, and don't collect her recordings. She seems to me to be an empty stylist with mannerisms in place of insight. Here we get her in her Wunderkind phase, with glossy accompaniments from Karajan. The Mendelsoohn is especially distressing in its lack of inner vibrancy; it dawdles along without much spirit or sparkle. The Bruch shows more vigor on the soloist's part, and naturally the playing per se is impeccable. This is by far the better performance, and fully worthy of Mutter's early brilliance. It's often movingly phrased, albeit the touches of glossiness from Karajan aren't a help.

I'm a great admirer of Karajan, but he was often disappointing as an accompanist (leaving aside seome great work on EMI with the Philharmonia) and often bad at picking soloists (again excepting his early work with Lipati, Gieseking, et al.). His choice of Mutter was at least commerically canny, given her current superstar status, but I found this whole CD dispiriting.

The Mendelssohn concerto is truly one of the greates concertoes of all time,and Bruch's pretty good too, but I don't think that Anne Sophie Mutter gets the right feel. It drawls along at a slow pace, and the seperate bowings ruin the fluid feeling of the piece. I guarantee that you will like the pieces, but I reccomend the version with the Budapest Symphony orchestra and Emmy Vehrey if you want good performance.