Mendelssohn Violin Concerto Mutter 4778001 [PL]: Classical Music Reviews

Anne-Sophie Mutter first recorded Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in 1980 with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Karajan. On that very CD recording sleeve we saw the youthful and earnest 17-year-old virtuoso in a voluminous jumper. Almost three decades later, the cover of her new recording, this time with the Gewandhaus under Masur, shows an elegant “prima violinista assoluta” in a glamorous blue gown against a backdrop of pink daisies. This disc is part of Deutsche Grammophon’s celebration of Mendelssohn 200.

Mendelssohn had a special gift for melody and the beautiful opening theme of the Concerto is both gripping and memorable. The orchestration of the first movement Allegro moderato is principally designed to show off the violinist rather than overpower the listener with intricacy. Mutter, now 46, performs with poise and sensitivity making full use of broad dynamics. Her heightened expressive playing at 3:02-4:00 is spine-tingling and her attentive reading of the challenging cadenza at 6:49-8:26 makes this interpretation hard to improve on. The degree of dexterity that Mutter displays from 11:13 to 12:02 is one of the highlights in this movement and her signature silky tone still leaves me astonished. The contrast with her 1980 recording is more than a matter of speed. Mutter dwells on the sweetness of the musical material and it is significant that one can see these sections in close-up on the DVD. The skylark second movement Andante is full of vibrato-heavy emotions, and our soloist here has a winning innocence, when she surges above Masur’s musicians. She dismisses the difficulty of the solo part of the middle section with a confidence that never borders on the languid, although I would have preferred a slightly more weighty tone. Mutter charges to the Finale’s finishing line with the zest and zip of a teenage prodigy. The virtuoso tradition is still alive!

At times in the accompanying DVD I felt the effects of adrenalin pumping through her circulation over those tricky nervous rhythms. With playing that is buoyant and spirited she eminently invokes Mendelssohn’s world of fairytale enchantment. The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, which has historical ties with Mendelssohn, provides natural and sympathetic support.

The two chamber works do not quite match the esprit of the Concerto, although cellist Lynn Harrell and pianist André Previn are evidently just as determined as Mutter to transform the Andante of the Piano Trio into a lullaby without words. Previn provides passagework that is notably clean and agile even at the swiftest of speeds, while Harrell maintains a convincing throb with his grandfatherly instrument.

Deutsche Grammophon is generous in offering a full DVD that includes live footage of the Concerto and these chamber works, in addition to a short documentary on the composer. Mutter takes the chance to change gowns when the Violin Sonata comes along. Mutter and Previn join forces for the F major Violin Sonata in a brilliant partnership, from the unexpected gravitas of the Adagio to a right scamper through its glittering Finale. Seeing these artists illuminate the music gives a personal and human touch that would have immensely pleased its composer. As Mutter herself recollects, “I have found a new appreciation of the music’s [Mendelssohn’s Concerto] depth, allowing myself to play them as exuberantly and youthfully as I’d have wanted to but hadn’t dared earlier in my career [in reference to the Concerto]… [I was] afraid it wouldn’t be meaningful enough, or German and stern enough.”

At the end, this handsome CD plus DVD set is a revelation to the many admirers and lovers of Mendelssohn’s immortal masterpieces.

Patrick P.L. Lam