BBC Proms 2017: Prom 69 - Anne-Sophie Mutter, Pittsburgh SO, Manfred Honeck

JOHN ADAMS Lollapalooza
DVOŘÁK Violin Concerto
MAHLER Symphony No. 1

Anne-Sophie Mutter (violin)
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Manfred Honeck (conductor)



Well, Anne-Sophie Mutter. Undoubtedly the violin legend in the world. She defines and "owns" a lot of works, notably the contemporary repertoire, but has become rather polarising in recent years. Her latest recordings are so self-indulgent and excessive in using vibrato that make them excruciating to listen to. However, her 2013 recording of the Dvořák VC was revelatory. It was successful in that she brought out the muscular potential of the Romantic work, and the torrential onslaught of III was jaw-dropping. Hearing it live, you get to see the physical involvement, and it's a nostalgic experience to witness a concerto performance where everybody was transfixed by the soloist alone. It takes a lot of charisma to make the orchestra virtually irrelevant, and you kind of earn it when you enter by sawing a brutal high A. For Mutter, massive applause is almost guaranteed and assumed, and it made standing through 7 min of John Adams' "Lollapalooza" worthwhile. What wasn't assumed was that she was eventually upstaged and made virtually irrelevant by the orchestra. Mahler 1 isn't the most dramatic or emotionally turbulent work of his, and the half capacity tonight probably wasn't having high expectations either. but 1 min in I felt it's the most rejuvenating music-making I have ever heard from a Mahler. I haven't quite worked out what exactly the magic was, there was something in the very nuanced conducting that was very gripping. The colourful shadings of the instruments, particularly the brass, was remarkable. The organic pacing of the narration made it very comfortable to listen to. The structural transparency was consistently masterful and made reading the programme notes redundant. It was never overdone and glorious, and sent the audience exploding in applause. The regulars I spoke to, who boast to have attended the Proms since the days of Adrian Boult, all agreed that "it was one of the best Proms in history" and inserted that "not even the Vienna Philharmonic would match that on Thursday" (Mahler 6/Harding). Who would have thought Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Manfred Honeck, of all people, doing Mahler 1, of all pieces, would win over London. I can't wait to see the professional reviews tomorrow. If they record for big labels, I think they would be massive by now.