Sarasate's Carmen Fantasy, which provides the whole disc with its title, is as high-powered as the Ravel, and I was fascinated to compare it with Itzhak Perlman's 1972 version with Lawrence Foster and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for EMI, which has long been a favourite of mine and which reappeared on their four-disc Perlman compilation. In all five sections (each given separate tracks) Mutter is even more sharply characterful than Perlman in her expressive inflexions and underlining. And she clearly gains in the ease of her performance, seeming to try less hard and therefore to convey more of the fun of the piece. I prefer it, when over and over again it tickles one's funny-bone. With James Levine and the Vienna Philharmonic providing Mutter with weighty and 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 eighteenth-century work so much as another piece in the same vein as the rest, using the Zandonai arrangement and taking a heavyweight view.

Few CDs truly deserve the five stars they are given. As you might guess, I believe this is one of them.

9 of 9 found the following review helpful:

Gorgeously fun fun fun!!!!!  Feb 05, 2001
By P. Rah "prahcello"
Anne-Sophie Mutter's sensuously dulcet tone is wonderfully suited to most of the works featured on this disc. It is a real fun record, sometimes overly exaggerated but why not? It is not often that musicians make fun of music; mostly music is serious, and one needs some fun from time to time.

The opening Zigeunerweisen is an interpretation that has bowled me over because of its daring assertiveness. I don't think that I've heard such a risk-taking playing of this work (most notable in the finale. The tempo is at breakneck speed and Mutter succeeds effortlessly!). The Tzigane, another of the gypsy-themed works on the disc, is wonderfully free. I never thought that Mutter had it in her to play so un-Germanically (all serious and all romantic). This is really gypsy-music at its best. Her technique is formidable and it comes to gooduse in this wrist-breaking work. Listen to her exquisite glissandi and rhythmic tautness: it's simply breathtaking!

The Devil's Trill sonata is another matter though. It is the one work that I don't enjoy as much as the others becuase it is simply too schmaltzy. Everything is exaggerated overtly and the use of a piano instead of a harpsichord doesn't help matters. Otherwise all the other works are wonderfully fun. The Carmen Fantasy is gutsy. Mm-Mm! Delicious stuff, and to end the Faure Berceuse is so sweet that it would make any kid go to sleep (a berceuse is after all, a lullaby!). The VPO and Maestro Levine do a superb job in supporing her, with the orchestra responding well to Mutter's phrasings.

All in all, a wonderful feast of lollipops! And they are not merely lollipops: thanks to Mutter they are really sweet lollipops!!! Enjoy it while you can!

8 of 8 found the following review helpful:

Best I've heard so far  May 03, 2005
By dilemnia
Many musicians play with with brains, only few do with hearts - And even fewer pour their hearts out with consistency are legends. Mutter had seemingly rewritten the arrangement and absorbed it so solidly which led to a performance that blooms with such great passion and distinct personality aided by her transcendental techniques. I had felt an instant connection with her the very first time I heard it. It's also sonically pleasing even to the audiophiles. It's a recording for music fans who truely understand and appreciate music on a very sophisticated level...

5 of 5 found the following review helpful:

Family of classical music listeners  Dec 25, 1999
By Greg Traylor
I ordered this after hearing one of the pieces on this album broadcasted on the radio. It sent chills up my spine. The music is absolutely spellbinding. But it did not pass the test until my mother, a pianist, had a chance to hear it. She closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat with a smile,a five star smile!

6 of 8 found the following review helpful:

Buy this, you'll love it!  Mar 30, 2005
By Mark Puterbaugh
If you have never heard Anne-Sophie this is the CD you should buy first. Its fun! Its exciting! Its dynamic! Anne-Sophie brings this music to life in the way only she can. I'm not a technical expert when it comes to music, I just know that I like this CD.

Note: The first time I played this CD in my office (I'm very noisy in my office) I had people run in to ask who was the violinist. They wanted to buy this CD. You should buy it too.

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