Anne-Sophie Mutter - Beethoven's Complete Violin Sonatas

Rating:
Summary: Appealing Enough, But Could be Better Though
Review: All things considered these DVDs not bad at all. The sound is excellent, so is the picture. Mutter's sound is mellow and beautiful and her technique is marvelous. The photography is good, whether it is angle of view or the violinist's dresses. But the effect of the many lines on her face is quite something-- at least giving us an impression that as though she was in great agony.

To be fair, the pianist paid too much attention to the violin compromising a bit. But he is not inspiring in any event. Lev Oborin maintained a better equilibrium even though it was Oistrakh that he was playing with. It was B/W though and they only played a few of the sonatas. Musically, Kempff (with Menuhin) did a much much better job , but that was available CD only.

Here it seems that Mutter was probing deeper into the music. One gets the feeling that she has digested some of Menuhin's way of expression though not completely- and that would not be desirable in any event. At one point or two, she might be overdoing things a bit and some notes do seem to live, at least they're not quite convincing enough. But that is rare and on the whole, these are very enjoyable perfomances. So unless you have some strong preference, these recitals are appealing enough for most if not all of the audiences.

Rating:
Summary: Appealing Enough, But Could be Better Though
Review: All things considered these DVDs not bad at all. The sound is excellent, so is the picture. Mutter's sound is mellow and beautiful and her technique is marvelous. The photography is good, whether it is angle of view or the violinist's dresses. But the effect of the many lines on her face is quite something-- at least giving us an impression that as though she was in great agony.

To be fair, the pianist paid too much attention to the violin compromising a bit. But he is not inspiring in any event. Lev Oborin maintained a better equilibrium even though it was Oistrakh that he was playing with. It was B/W though and they only played a few of the sonatas. Musically, Kempff (with Menuhin) did a much much better job , but that was available CD only.

Here it seems that Mutter was probing deeper into the music. One gets the feeling that she has digested some of Menuhin's way of expression though not completely- and that would not be desirable in any event. At one point or two, she might be overdoing things a bit and some notes do seem to live, at least they're not quite convincing enough. But that is rare and on the whole, these are very enjoyable perfomances. So unless you have some strong preference, these recitals are appealing enough for most if not all of the audiences.

Rating:
Summary: von Karajan lives on, unfortunately
Review: I can't help but wonder if Sweet Anne spent too much time with old Herbie many moons ago. Unbelievably, the biography included with this so-so DVD begins with her waxing poetic about Karajan while plugging the Beethoven Violin Concerto they did together (which I admit is quite pleasant to watch).

It just seems she now has the Karajan mentality which I find cold and distant and it shows in these sonatas. They're not bad but it left me unsatisfied.

The experience of owning a fake diamond.

Rating:
Summary: Absolute Bargain
Review: I like Mutter's playing. I like Beethoven. It is natural to like Mutter's Beethoven. When considering this DVD video set which contains video together with PCM sound tracks at 48KHz,16 bit, and at a huge discount to the same set of 4 Audio CDs at 44.1KHz, 16 bit.

I am not sure why the DVD set is much cheaper than the CD set as it contains a bit better sound track than that in Audio CDs. Theoretically, with a bit computer knowledge, it is entirely technically possible to resample the 48KHz sound tracks to 44.1Khz which is what make up the Audio CD. It must be a bargain. An absolute bargain.

Rating:
Summary: Technique fighting the music--What's happened to ASM?
Review: I thought these would be the same performances as the ones released on CD by DG, which I've reviewed enthusiastically. Watching this DVD sent me back to my CDs, wondering if I had to revise what I wrote there. After comparison listenings, I *still* like the Mutter-Orkis CD very much. But the DVD, recorded a month later than the CD (and in Paris vs. Germany) seems to me mannered, calculated, and exaggerated to the point that the music's shape is distended. The overall approach is the same on both, but consistently on the DVD effects are exaggerated (by Mutter especially), tempi are more extreme, and there are showy techniques not called for in the score, and that seem designed to draw attention to the tremendous control Mutter and Orkis admittedly have over themselves rather than serve the music. For just one example of what I mean, an example difficult to convey with words, listen to the coda to the first movement of the Kreutzer in both versions. Or perhaps better yet, listen to the second movement theme and variations. In the CD the ebb and flow of the variations relate to one another. On the DVD the effects seem overly-deliberate and overly-refined. It's almost as if ASM had grown tired of the music and was playing for effects' sake. There are many moments of excessive refinement, where a phrase is ignored or distorted so ASM can show us her "flattening" of a note, or draw out a phrase to the point that the shape is lost. She changes color on the violin so many times you almost want to shout out at the TV, "Okay, we know you are the world's greatest violin technician! Please just play the music."

The accompanying documentary, "A Life With Beethoven," should have been called "A Life With Anne-Sophie," since that's what it's really about. She uses the music of Beethoven as a backdrop, and she gives the usual platitudes about what a genius he was and how deep and complex his music is, but after that's out of the way it's all about her career. She offers not one insight into Beethoven or performing his music. And it's amusing to hear her repeated statements that her partnership with Orkis is one of equals when in the rehearsals she is clearly leading in everything. Reminded me of the press conference called after Damler/Benz swallowed up Chrysler, when Chrysler executives kept reiterating how it was a marriage of equals. I didn't believe it then and I don't now. (Incidentally, if you really believe Mutter and Orkis are equals, just note how large her name appears in the opening and closing credits vs. his!)

These DVDs are well-produced, with fine picture and sound. But these aren't definitive performances. They don't illuminate the works the way Kremer/Argerich, Bartok/Szigeti, Kempff/Schneiderhan, or Oborin/Oistrakh do. Those other performances aren't on DVD, however, so if you must have picture along with sound this may be the only way to go. For now.

Rating:
Summary: Flawless
Review: Mutter and Orkis were recorded on stage playing all ten of Beethoven's sonatas for piano and violin, which are presented in order from first to last. The performances are all wonderful. Although Orkis is not as famous as Mutter, it is evident that he collaborates on at least an equal basis (in the earlier sonatas, the piano is the leading instrument; in the later ones, the violinist becomes an equal partner). Mutter is second to no one as an executant and these performances are free of significant technical flaws. Picture and sound quality are first-rate. I can't think of any reason you wouldn't want these DVDs. NOTE: another DVD, entitled "A Life with Beethoven," contains the same performances of the "Spring" and "Kreutzer" sonatas and the same documentary found in "Beethoven's Complete Violin Sonatas." If you get this one, you don't need the other.

Rating:
Summary: The sonatas live from the Téâtre des Champs-Elysées.
Review: The marvelous idea about playing these sonatas, is nothing able to be copared in the entire repertoire for violin and piano, Beethoven's ever.!!! And you can see it. At the end of the program, you have the peace of mind, the stillness you need for your own. Superb job from Anne-Sophie Mutter and Lambert Orkis..

Rating:
Summary: Not her greatest performance
Review: With all of the wonderful violin DVDs available, I found this one a disappointment and a waste of time.
I've seen Anne-Sophie Mutter in person, which provided a better performance, but as for DVDs of violin performers, try Nadja Solerna Solnenberg or Nigel Kennedy and enjoy some real passion.