Style in Music.

Anne Sophie Mutter:

  • Tango Song and Dance

Performance style is of utmost importance in music. One simply cannot perform the music of Bach the way one performs Gershwin.

This is an older recording, and it might be of interest to explore Ms. Mutter’s violin playing style, as it developed during the past years.

We hear the following selections.

Brahms:

Hungarian Dance No. 1 in G minor

Hungarian Dance No. 6 in D flat major

Hungarian Dance No. 7
Fauré:

Violin Sonata No. 1 in A major, Op. 13

Gershwin:

Summertime (from Porgy and Bess)

It Ain’t Necessarily So (from Porgy and Bess)

Bess, you is my woman now (from Porgy and Bess)

My man’s gone now (from Porgy and Bess)

Kreisler:

Schön Rosmarin

Caprice Viennois, Op. 2

Liebesleid

Previn:

Tango Song and Dance, (dedicated to Anne-Sophie Mutter)

Performed by Anne-Sophie Mutter (violin), André Previn, Lambert Orkis (piano)

Whether it is Gershwin or Kreisler, this is all music that requires charm and style. Yehudi Menuhin asked Kreisler himself to teach him all about the Viennese style many years ago. And certainly Ms. Mutter could easily ask Andre Previn to explain his intent as to style.

In Brahms and Faure one has to rely on her own feelings for interpretation guidelines.

Here is Anne Sophie Mutter in “Hungarian Dance No2” by Johannes Brahms, performed at the Théâtre Marigny in Paris on January 25, 2010, with Lambert Orkis, piano.

 

In contrast, here she is playing the Brahms – Violin Sonata No 2 in A major, Op 100:

https://youtu.be/3Qzw23e9w4E

 

Enough said? You see that these are strong examples, as to style differences…

Tags: Anne Sophie Mutter, Lambert Orkis, Brahms, Andre Previn, Fritz Kreisler, Gershwin