German violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter made her recording
debut in 1978 at the age of fifteen playing Mozart’s Violin Concertos Nos. 3 and 5
with the eminent conductor Herbert von Karajan; one of the world’s great
orchestras, the Berlin Philharmonic; and the prestigious record label Deutsche
Grammophon. Several years later, she recorded Nos. 2 and 4 with
Riccardo Muti and the Philharmonia Orchestra for EMI. It was an auspicious
beginning to her recording career to say the least, and she has never looked
back, now recognized as one of the leading performers in her field. About a
quarter of a century later, in 2003, she recorded all five of the Mozart violin
concertos again, this time with the London Philharmonic, which she also
conducted. The present, 2012 disc presents three of those concertos on a JVC
remastered XRCD24/K2 audiophile disc.
The disc’s title is actually Mozart: The Violin Concertos (Highlights), but I think the
designation “Highlights” is misleading. It makes it appear as if there are only
portions of the concertos involved when, rest assured, we get three complete
violin concertos. It’s just that originally DG issued the five concertos along
with the Sinfonia concertante in a
two-disc set, so this single-disc audiophile release contains only three items
from that bigger package; thus, the possibly confusing “Highlights” tag.
The two big questions, of course, are whether Ms. Mutter’s
newer interpretations improve upon her early ones and whether JVC’s remastering
is worth the money, both highly subjective judgments. Let’s start with the
performances.
The newer interpretations have plenty of zip and thrust
and a greater rhythmic bounce than the earlier ones. Ms. Mutter entertains
slightly quicker tempos than before, perhaps as a nod to the period-practice
crowd. Still, these are essentially gentle, cultured, mature, and lyrical
readings, never overstepping the bounds of tradition. The older performances seem
a modicum more reserved, more classical in tone. Moreover, the slow movements
in the newer performances are as heartfelt as ever, so there is really nothing
lost, unless it’s the more Romantic, dreamy-eyed sentiment of Muti and Karajan.
If anything, Ms. Mutter is today better able to make her violin cry out in joy
and passion. Her intonation, phrasing, style, and delivery are, as always, spot
on, graceful and articulate.
All I can say about the JVC remaster is that the disc
ain’t cheap, but it sure sounds good. Unfortunately, and here’s the rub, while
I usually have the original discs for side-by-side comparisons, this time I did
not have the regular DG set available. What I did have were Mutter’s old Muti
(EMI) and Karajan (DG) discs, as well as the knowledge that in my prior
experience every XRCD I’ve ever compared to its original counterpart has
sounded better (although in some cases just barely). I have no reason to think
the same isn’t true here.
Sonically, the JVC XRCD24/K2 remaster sounded superior to
the Muti and Karajan in every way but one: The Muti recording seemed a touch
more dimensional. The engineers miked the newer Mutter performances a bit
closer than either the older EMI or DG, thus losing a very little something in
orchestral depth; be that as it may, the closer sound reproduces a truthful air
and space. In every other respect, the JVC product sounded best. The newer
recording is clearer and cleaner for one thing, with a fine sense of presence
and occasion. It also displays a greater dynamic range, a stronger impact, and
a sharper transient attack. In the matter of frequency balance, the JVC is more
neutral, the older recordings a touch brighter and less natural. There is also
in the JVC a realistic bite on the violin sound, yet without any forward edge
or hardness. More important, the JVC remastered sound appears smoother and
firmer than the older sound, more lifelike all around.
In a nutshell, if you like Ms. Mutter’s earlier
interpretations of the concertos, you will no doubt like her newer ones as
well; they may lose a little something in formal classical feel and design, but
they make up for it in joyous spontaneity. In terms of sound, the JVC remaster
is hard to fault; it’s a tad close but sleek and polished, with no hint of
distortion.
Just remember, the JVC disc isn’t for everyone; you can
buy DG’s two-disc set much cheaper than this single disc, and I cannot even
vouch absolutely for the JVC’s sonic superiority; therefore, I could not in all
conscience recommend the remaster without qualification. JVC clearly intend the
product for well-heeled audiophiles. What’s more, you may have trouble finding
it for sale, short of ordering it from Europe or Japan, where it would be more
prohibitively expensive given the shipping costs involved. Nevertheless, if
you’re really intent on pursuing it, several places you can buy JVC XRCD’s in
the U.S. include Elusive Disc (http://www.elusivedisc.com/) and Acoustic Sounds
(http://store.acousticsounds.com/).
To hear a brief excerpt from this album, click here:
JJP
JJP
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