Carmen Fantasie (+ Tartini: Sonata "Devil's Trill")

Anne-SophieMutter obviously had fun making this disc. In the quiet pieces (Massenet, Ysaÿe, Fauré) which serve as interludes, she plays with her usual exquisite taste. In the showpieces, though, she goes to town, sliding, scooping, exaggerating, and letting all the stops out. The gypsy inflection she uses in Ravel's Tzigane and Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen is delicious. Even a ridiculous orchestral arrangement of Tartini's Devil's Trill Sonata is more amusing than offensive. With James Levine and the Berlin Philharmonic providing uncommonly alert and powerful support, and Deutsche Grammophon's realistic sound, this disc is a real treat for violin lovers. --Leslie Gerber