Crazy version of the Tchaikovsky concerto

March 6, 2005 at 08:02 AM · PS. I accidently clicked send before I finished the review, but that's ok.

March 7, 2005 at 08:19 AM · I believe this recording was discussed not so long ago on another thread. Check the archives.

I'm not sure if he's old enough to be her grandpa, but he's certainly a good thirty or forty years older than her.

Carl.

March 7, 2005 at 08:47 AM · I quite like this recording. I hesitated for months buying it, owing to the detailed discussion in the other thread Carl elluded to. But it is a performance that certainly captivates interest (same goes for the Korngold). Sumptuous sound and superbly recorded too.

As for Anne-Sophie Mutter's relationship with Andre Previn, I don't really see the relevance of discussing that here. They are obviously very happy together, so why don't we just leave it at that and keep our discussion related to the music making, which is what this website is primarily about.

March 7, 2005 at 09:01 AM · Yes, sir.

March 7, 2005 at 09:45 AM · I thought they were talking about music making.

March 7, 2005 at 10:35 AM · Emily,

If you re-read my post, I was objecting to the specific comments and observations made by Jim relating to Anne-Sophie Mutter's relationship with Andre Previn. Hence the reason I opened my second paragraph with the words "As for Anne Sophie Mutter's relationship with Andre Previn..."

Otherwise, perhaps you can explain to me what relevance to music making Jim's comments that (i) Andre Previn is old enough to be Anne Sophie Mutter's great grandfather and (ii) It's "disgusting" have to do with music making. I am all ears. Because it sure beats me.

March 7, 2005 at 11:09 AM · Sounds like he stole her from you.

March 7, 2005 at 05:04 PM · And it sounds like you need to grow up Jim. I'm not the first person to find comments in your posts to be self-absorbing, inane, as well as your pathetic and continued attempts at humour to be intensely irritating. I have no idea how old you are but there are a vast number of young teenagers on this site whose posts are immeasurably more mature than your own. I would suggest you learn from them.

March 7, 2005 at 06:32 PM · What's wrong in knowing about greats' relatives? This information exists in all byographies...

March 7, 2005 at 06:54 PM · Although aging, Previn continues to be a wonderful and still vigorous musician, and if Mutter helps him keep it up, all the better. Please do not read anything more into this comment. Please.

March 7, 2005 at 08:16 PM · I agree with Jim, that Andre Previn is comically old for Anne-Sophie Mutter. That said, they are both excellent musicians, although I find Previn's modernist bent has influenced ASM's choice of repertoire, and there are certainly things I'd like to hear her play before she, herself, gets old and retires. Especially Schubert, for some reason.

I do not find Jim's comments to be inane (by and large).

By contrast, a few individuals are excessively serious, believing wrongly that music should be devoid of humour.

March 7, 2005 at 08:21 PM · tchaikovsky is just not for anne sophie mutter. tchaikovsky is prolly flipping in his grave right now

March 7, 2005 at 08:31 PM · I bought the CD on the strength of the previous thread (anytime I hear of a version of the Tchaik that somebody hates with passion, I'm interested - it has to be taking some interesting risks). I for one loved it, especially the first and second movement. The third was OK, but I guess seeing a video of Rabin playing that one spoiled me for everybody else's version.

I went in expecting (from prior comments) to hear some seriously questionable taste in rubato, but really didn't hear anything that struck me as beyond the pale for Romantic music. Near the pale, maybe, but not beyond it. All completely subjective, of course, your mileage may vary. (Especially given that within the parameters of classical music, I'm not usually that much of a purist. If it sounds good, I like it.)

I for one, find something in the lushness of her somewhat old-fashioned Romantic style playing that reminds me a bit of Mischa Elman's version of the Tchaik (which is one of my favorites), but that may just be me.

March 7, 2005 at 08:53 PM · haha erica

March 7, 2005 at 08:58 PM · Francis,

My experience was almost identical to yours. Perhaps because I was expecting an awful lot of excessive rubato and controversial vibtrato usage, I ended up being pleasantly surprised. I guess I was prepared for "the worst" so I ended up liking it much more than I anticipated.

Not really being a dedicated Anne-Sophie Mutter fan (except for her early recordings under Karajan), I can't readily compare how this performance compares to her relatively recent Beethoven recording, for example. But I did hear the Beethoven on the radio last year and I thought her treatment of that was more radical than the Tchaikovsky or Korngold. So my feeling is this Tchaikovsky / Korngold disc shows perhaps a little mellowing on her part. Or perhaps (as I speculated in the other thread), it was because these pieces were better suited to her new style of playing.

I was surprised there have been a lot of comments about the intonation in this Tchaikovsky / Korngold recording. At the Classics Today website, this disc only scored 4 out of 10 for performance, and the reviewer absolutely grilled Anne-Sophie Mutter regarding her intonation. Whilst her intonation isn't as solid as say, Hilary Hahn, it actually didn't really distract me. I tend to think her intonation accuracy is, however, masked at times by her very heavy vibrato. As a friend pointed out to me, sometimes her vibrato is so wide and fast, it almost has a trill-like nature at times.

In any event, I am pleasantly suprised with this disc and I am happy to have it in my collection.

March 7, 2005 at 10:02 PM · Mark,

"By contrast, a few individuals are excessively serious, believing wrongly that music should be devoid of humour."

You allude to me, I assume?

Carl.

March 7, 2005 at 10:24 PM · No Carl, I think you are one of the funny ones.