Mutter & Karajan: Mozart Violin Concertos on Original Source Vinyl

Deutsche Grammophon is reissuing the first album recorded by Anne-Sophie Mutter and Herbert von Karajan as part of its Original Source Vinyl series. The recording of Mozart’s Violin Concertos Nos. 3 and 5, made in February 1978 with the Berliner Philharmoniker, documents the beginning of a collaboration that would continue for more than a decade.

At the time of the recording, Mutter was fourteen years old, and the works had already been performed repeatedly in concert. Karajan’s decision to record Mozart at this stage followed a consistent principle of his work with young artists: repertoire was developed through performance before being fixed on record. The pairing of the Third and Fifth Concertos reflects this approach at the outset of what would become an iconic artistic mentorship.

The Original Source Vinyl edition is cut directly from the original four- and eight-track analogue tapes of the 1970s and released in audiophile quality. Pressed on 180g vinyl and presented in a deluxe gatefold edition, the release places renewed focus on a recording that stands at the very start of Karajan’s collaboration with Anne-Sophie Mutter.

The album is available via the Deutsche Grammophon Store.

—  Pia Bernauer