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Title: Gorgeous playing - highly recommended
Review: Anne-Sophie Mutter and Lambert Orkis make gorgeous music. These four discs offer wonderful insight, passion and the sheer beauty of a Stradivarius played with stunning results by one of the violin's greatest living exponents. The accompanying Pluscore feature is fascinating: with four of the sonatas, listeners can follow the score while the music is performed, or practice it. There is also critical material accessible by computer, and photographs of the performers, of Beethoven, and of some of his contemporaries. I must admit I am still struggling with the interpretation of the Kreutzer (#9), which I found problematic. It lacks the spirit and vitality of the Francescatti/Casadesus version - my favorite - and seems so heavily mannered as to be ponderous at times. The other sonatas, however, are rendered with real beauty and a sheen derived from excellent sound and technique. The set is highly recommended.
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