Mozart: Violin Concertos Nos. 1, 3 & 4

Mozart: Violin Concertos Nos. 1, 3 & 4

Many performers consider Mozart's music the most difficult to play really well. Viktoria Mullova, who initially became famous playing romantic and virtuoso concertos, makes it sound not only easy, but absolutely right. Her technique is flawless and brilliant, but always at the service of the music. Her tone is utterly beautiful, combining purity with a warm, radiant glow. Her phrasing is elegant, her pacing steady yet flexible. Her tempi are moderate, with plenty of time to let the music breathe. She blends artless simplicity with the most artful subtlety and aristocratic nobility, playing from deep inside the music and making every note expressive; there is not one fussy, obvious moment, not even a slide, in the whole record. Perhaps most striking is her ability to change mood and expression in an instant by varying the color and nuance of her tone with bow and vibrato. The slow movements sing with heavenly serenity; the fast ones, especially the Finale of the D major Concerto, have a courtly grace. Mullova uses cadenzas by Ottavio Dantone, even for No. 4 in preference to Joachim's. They are a bit long, but they're skillfully done, as is her own for the Finale of No. 3. Surely, this must be one of the best recordings of these oft-recorded pieces. Do not be put off by the outrÃ© cover photographs: they belie the impeccable style of both soloist and orchestra. --Edith Eisler