Besides killer movie-star looks and gorgeous strapless gowns, Anne-Sophie Mutter is that rare violin virtuoso who can get a big, lush Romantic sound when she wants to for those big nineteenth-century violin concertos but can trim back the vibrato for pure violin sound when it comes to eighteenth-century music. The German performer’s approach to Mozart is somewhere in between, but it serves the music quite well, as her new separate sets of the complete Mozart Violin Concertos and Sonatas (Deutsche Grammaphon) demonstrate. The discs and the recitals that followed for the Mozart 250th birthday anniversary have caused quite a sensation, but this is her only scheduled appearance here with this repertoire, performing the Sonatas K. 376, K. 481, K. 379, K. 304, K. 454 with her longtime piano accompanist Lambert Orkis. (Dennis Polkow)
Dennis Polkow is an award-winning veteran journalist, critic, author, broadcaster and educator. He made his stage debut at age five, was a child art prodigy and began playing keyboards in clubs at the age of fourteen. He holds degrees in music theory, composition, religious studies and philosophy from DePaul University in Chicago. Polkow spent his early years performing and recording in rock and jazz bands while concertizing as a classical pianist, organist and harpsichordist and composing, arranging and producing for other artists. As a scholar, Polkow has published and lectured extensively and taught at several colleges and universities in various departments. As an actor, narrator and consultant, Polkow has been involved with numerous films, plays, broadcasts and documentaries. As a journalist, Polkow helped co-create the experiential Chicago Musicale and Spotlight, the award-winning tabloid arts and entertainment section of the Press Publications chain of newspapers, which he later edited. He also created and ran the nationally recognized journalism program at Oakton College and was faculty advisor to its award-winning student newspaper; many former students went on to major media careers, including Channel Awesome’s the Nostalgia Critic. Polkow’s research, interviews, features, reviews and commentaries have appeared across national and international media and he has corresponded from the Middle East, Asia and Africa for the Chicago Tribune. Contact: dpolkow25@aol.com
