Beauty brims between the void

Anne-Sophie Mutter to offer chamber music

By Lee Hyo-won

“Mozart’s music is like well-written poetry,” Anne-Sophie Mutter once said about the iconic composer.

“There are so many underlying meanings but require a concise reading between the lines. His music begins with a full outburst but disappears into silence. That is why playing Mozart requires expressing both beauty and serenity.”

Age is nothing but a number and Mutter, one of the world’s most beloved violinists, seems to give the cliched phrase a meaningful musicality.

Thirty-five years ago the violinist surprised the world by showcasing exhilarating Mozart concerti opposite the Karajan-led Berlin Philharmonic at the tender age of 15, and she continues to awe the audience with an unnerving bravura onstage.

But just like how the best poetry leaves room for thought, she captivates the crowd with the ebb and flow of sounds, keeping you on the edge of your seat with the silence between the notes.

Fans will be able to savor something more subdued, yet no less intense, in an upcoming chamber concert next month.

The performance, which marks the German artist’s first here in three years, will feature three sonatas.

The violinist has been known for a wide ranging repertoire, from Baroque to Romantic staples as well as world premieres of contemporary creations by Andre Previn and Sofia Gubaidulina. As much as she sealed an international reputation with Mozart concerti, Mutter will showcase a sonata (KV 454) by the composer.

“Mozart’s music is like an X-ray of your soul — it shows what is there, and what isn’t,” she said.

“Yet Mozart isn’t taken very seriously by the younger generation. His music is looked down on as something relatively simple — people want more bravura. The important thing is not the number of notes, but the interaction of the instruments, and the development of the ideas.”

The concert program features more sonatas by Debussy (G minor), Mendelssohn (F major) and Mozart (KV 454), as well as “Carmen Fantasy” by Sarasate.

Some may be disappointed that the offering does not largely differ from her 1995 Korean concert debut.

But while age may be relative when it comes to artistry, the experience that comes with time is something else altogether. Fans will be able to savor Mutter’s musical development over the years, particularly since pianist Lambert Orkis, with whom she has been collaborating with since 1988, will accompany her.

The chamber concert will take place at 8 p.m. on May 3 at Seoul Arts Center. Tickets cost from 50,000 to 180,000 won. Call 1577-5266 or visit www.clubbalcony.com for more information.