Why anyone would want to watch a classical concert DVD becomes clear a few minutes into the video disc portion of a new Deutsche Grammophone set featuring Annie-Sophie Mutter performing Mendelssohn. You can listen to the audio disc. Or you can watch the talented young violinist from perspectives impossible from even the best seats. The cameras show Mutter, resplendent in sleeveless blue gown, just below the podium where conductor Kurt Masur coaxes emotion as much as tempo from the musicians. The view cuts between sections of the orchestra and Mutter from many angles, showing her hands working through the high-strung yearning of her solos.
The set includes radiant performances of the Violin Concerto in E Minor, the Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor and Violin Sonata in F Major. Nothing can replace being there to experience the music at the moment it reverberates through the hall, but a DVD recording permits the eyes to experience the performance as well as the ears.
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