[SACD-R][OF] Anne-Sophie Mutter, Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine - Carmen-Fantasie (Sarasate, Wieniawski, Tartini, Ravel, Massenet, Faure) - 1992/2005 (Classical; Orchestral; Violin)

A 1992 recording (I suspect 24bit/44.1 PCM) a product of those benighted times.
Anne-Sophie Mutter obviously had fun making this disc. In the quiet pieces (Massenet, Ysaÿe, Fauré) which serve as interludes, she plays with her usual exquisite taste. In the showpieces, though, she goes to town, sliding, scooping, exaggerating, & letting all the stops out. The gypsy inflection she uses in Ravel’s Tzigane & Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen is delicious. Even a ridiculous orchestral arrangement of Tartini’s Devil’s Trill Sonata is more amusing than offensive. With James Levine & the Berlin Philharmonic providing uncommonly alert & powerful support, & Deutsche Grammophon’s realistic sound, this disc is a real treat for violin lovers.
~ Leslie Gerber
Some violinists impress by a dazzling technique, as flawless & polished as a diamond. Some impress by the intensity of their vision, their genius for saying something fresh with a musical phrase that the listener may have heard a thousand times before. Others by their daring, their willingness to push themselves beyond the boundries of safety – perhaps by choosing an audacious tempo, or by producing some extraordinary & startling tone-colour. Anne-Sophie Mutter does all this and more!
Gathered together here is music that Mutter might play as encores after an intense recital or concerto programme. Several were written by composers who were themselves virtuoso violinists, & whose very intention was to test the technical mettle of all who dared to attempt a performance. For some violinists, simply playing the notes would be enough. But being Mutter, these pieces are interpreted with as much care & intelligence as the most profound concerto.
Richard Morrison in his appreciation of Anne-Sophie Mutter, given here in the booklet, accurately describes this disc as a “feast of lollipops”, but with the flavours well-varied. It is unashamedly a fun record, & even Mutter has rarely played with such freedom & warmth, obviously enjoying these display pieces every bit as much as the repertory concertos & new works that are her staple diet. The gipsy flavours of the 2 Sarasate pieces, as well as of Ravel’s Tzigane, sound even more exotic than usual, & rarely have I heard the brilliant sound section, with its Hungarian fire, sound quite so exciting with a stunning accelerando at the end. The tender repose which she then brings to the Massenet “Meditation” is thus all the more affecting.
Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy, which provides the whole disc with its title, is as high-powered as the Ravel, & I was fascinated to compare it with Itzhak Perlman’s 1972 version with Lawrence Foster & the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for EMI, which has long been a favourite of mine & which reappeared on their 4-disc Perlman compilation. In all 5 sections (each given separate tracks) Mutter is even more sharply characterful than Perlman in her expressive inflexions & underlining. She clearly gains in the ease of her performance, seeming to try less hard & therefore to convey more of the fun of the piece. I prefer it, when over & over again it tickles one’s funny-bone. With James Levine & the Vienna Philharmonic providing Mutter with weighty & committed accompaniment, I have to say her performance thrusts home even more powerfully than Perlman’s. As for the previous reviewer’s comment about her playing – well, let me just suggest it might be time for a hearing aid. Ms. Mutter’s performance from a technical standpoint was flawless.
Fairly enough, Mutter treats the Tartini sonata not as an 18th-century work so much as another piece in the same vein as the rest, using the Zandonai arrangement & taking a heavyweight view.
Few CDs truly deserve the 5 stars they are given. As you might guess, I believe this is one of them.