Mullova: Brahms – Violin Concerto, Live in Tokyo (APE)

Performer: Viktoria Mullova
Orchestra: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Claudio Abbado
Composer: Johannes Brahms
Audio CD
Number of Discs: 1
Format: APE (image+cue)
Label: Philips
Size: 176 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

Brahms – Violin Concerto
1. Allegro non troppo
2. Adagio
3. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo vivace-Poco più presto

Berliner Philharmoniker / Claudio Abbado
recorded live at Suntory Hall, Tokyo, 1992

Among the very best

I got several performances of this concerto. Only two are as good – or almost as good – as the present one, although different: the brisk and structural Heifetz/Reiner and the varm and colourful Oistrakh/Klemperer. I should mention the intense Stern/Ormandy as well, but on that the recorded sound is a little hard and there is less sense of expectation (in my humble opinon).
What is striking about Mullova’s playing here is her passion, her melancoly, how she takes opportunity to express the moods of the music. If you think that this should be taken for granted, I agree, but unfortunatly it cannot; it is that little extra making the difference between the good performances and the rare ones.
Abbado conducts with a lot of spark. Acutally he did so on the much praised performance with Shaham as well, but the soloists make the difference, Shaham doing something new, Mullova something great.
The recording sound is good, without being the very best.
Summa summarum: This is a CD that makes me less satisfied with performances I used to enjoy.