One of the world's foremost violinists, Anne-Sophie Mutter is a musical
celebrity known even by countless people who rarely listen to classical
music. The artist and teacher, who promotes young musicians and
commissions new works from contemporary composers, made her spectacular
breakthrough under Herbert von Karajan at the 1977 Salzburg Easter
Festival. She has since concertized at every major venue throughout the
world. In 2008 she was awarded not only the prestigious Ernst von Siemens
Music Award, but also the Leipzig Mendelssohn Award. The award ceremony in
March 2008 was crowned by a gala concert at Leipzig's Gewandhaus with the
Gewandhaus Orchestra under Kurt Masur, at which Mutter performed the
Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor op. 64 presented here.
The recording offers a selection of masterpieces by Mendelssohn
(1809-1847) in a variety of instrumentations. In addition to Mutter, Masur
and the Leipzig orchestra, the performers also include Mutter's
chamber-music partners Lynn Harrell and André Previn. On the occasion of
the Mendelssohn Year, UNITEL CLASSICA also offers the documentary
Anne-Sophie Mutter - Encounters with Mendelssohn, in which the artist
discusses her affinity to Mendelssohn and explains why she particularly
admires the works presented here.
Mutter has performed the Violin Concerto several times in her career.
Joining her in Mendelssohn's Violin Sonata is pianist André Previn, who is
also an internationally renowned conductor and composer. Previn
accompanied Mutter in several Mozart Trios that are part of her "Mozart
Project" available from UNITEL CLASSICA. He and cellist Lynn Harrell now
interpret the D-minor Trio with her. This is a stunning anthology of
chamber and orchestral music from one of the most vibrant composers of the
early romantic era, performed by top artists of today!