COMPOSERS: Brahms,Debussy,Franck,Mozart
LABELS: DG
WORKS: Scherzo in C minor; Hungarian Dance No. 2 in B minor; Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G minor; Violin sonata in G minor; Beau Soir; Violin Sonata in E minor, K304: Violin sonata in A
PERFORMER: Anne-Sophie Mutter (Violin), Lambert Orkis (Piano)
CATALOGUE NO: 445 826-2
Buy this disc! If it were possible I would be even more emphatic, for Deutsche Grammophon has done the world a great service in recording this recital for posterity. Mutter demonstrates not only a formidable technique but also a searching interpretative mind. Far from being afraid of taking risks in the concert hall, this performance shows Mutter revelling in the inspiration of the moment whilst never losing her grip on the architectural whole.
Whether holding back on certain phrases in the Debussy Sonata or exquisitely grading tone colour as the Mozart sonata moves in and out of the shadows, nothing feels either accidental or formalised. Fluctuations of tempo are distinctly greater than has recently been the norm.
The end of the Franck sonata is dangerously close to the hurried side of exhilarating, whilst the flourish at the conclusion of the Debussy is almost thrown away, but the occasional moments when Mutter seems almost fallible, far from being a weakness, only add to the overwhelming sense of humanity in the performance. Mutter is partnered by the excellent Lambert Orkis who on this evidence deserves to be heard more often. Christopher Dingle