Mutter started playing the piano at age five. Shortly after, she began playing the violin, studying with Erna Honigberger and Aida Stucki.
After winning several prizes, she was exempted from school to dedicate herself to her art. When she was 13, conductor Herbert von Karajan invited her to play with the Berlin Philharmonic. In 1977, she made her debut at the Salzburg Festival and with the English Chamber Orchestra under Daniel Barenboim.
At 15, Mutter made her first recording of the Mozart Third and Fifth Violin Concertos with von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic. The same year, she was named Artist of the Year.
In 1980, she made her American debut with the New York Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta. In 1985, at the age of 22, she was made an honorary fellow of the Royal Academy of Music (London) and head of its faculty of international violin studies. In 1988, she made a grand tour of Canada and the United States, playing for the first time at Carnegie Hall. In 1998 she played and recorded for CD and DVD the complete set of Beethoven's Violin Sonatas, accompanied by Lambert Orkis; these were broadcast on television in many countries.
Though her repertoire includes many classical works, Mutter is particularly known for her performances of modern music. A number of pieces have been especially written for or dedicated to her, including Henri Dutilleux's Sur le Même Accord, Witold Lutosławski's Partita, Krzysztof Penderecki's Second Violin Concerto and Wolfgang Rihm's Gesungene Zeit ("Time Chant"). She has received various prizes, including several Grammys. She also owns two Stradivarius violins (The Emiliani of 1703, and the Lord Dunn-Raven of 1710).
In October 2006, on French television, Mutter appeared to indicate that she would be retiring when she turned 45, in 2008. However the following month she said that her words were "misinterpreted" and that she would continue to play as long as she felt she could "bring anything new, anything important, anything different to music”.
In 1989, Mutter married her first husband, Detlef Wunderlich, with whom she had two children, Arabella and Richard. Detlef died in 1995. She married the pianist and conductor André Previn in 2002, living in Munich with him and her children.
On 21 August 2006, Mutter's office announced that she and André Previn had divorced. The couple were rumoured to have separated three months previously, but confirmed their divorce as of the above date.
Awards and recognitions :
Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance:
• Anne-Sophie Mutter & Lambert Orkis for Beethoven: The Violin Sonatas (Nos. 1-3, Op. 12; Nos. 1-3, Op. 30; "Spring" Sonata) (2000)
Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra):
• Anne-Sophie Mutter & André Previn (conductor) for Previn: Violin Concerto "Anne-Sophie"/Bernstein: Serenade (2005)
• Anne-Sophie Mutter, Krzysztof Penderecki (conductor) & the London Symphony Orchestra for Penderecki: Violin Concerto No. 2, Metamorphosen (1999)
• Anne-Sophie Mutter, James Levine (conductor) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Berg: Violin Concerto/Rihm: Time Chant (1994)
Partial discography
On Deutsche Grammophon:
• Mozart Violin Concertos Nos. 3 & 5 (1978)
• Beethoven Triple Concerto (1980)
• Brahms Violin Concerto (1982)
• Brahms Double Concerto (1983)
• Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto (1988)
• Lutosławski Partita & Chain 2/Stravinsky Violin Concerto (1988)
• Beethoven: The String Trios (1989)
• Bartok Violin Concerto No. 2/Moret En Rêve (1991)
• Berg Violin Concerto/Rihm Time Chant (1992)
• Carmen-Fantasie (1993)
• Romance (1995)
• Sibelius Violin Concerto (1995)
• The Berlin Recital (1996)
• Brahms Violin Concerto/Schumann Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra (1997)
• Penderecki Violin Concerto No. 2/Bartok Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 2 (1997)
• Beethoven The Violin Sonatas (1998)
• Vivaldi The Four Seasons (1999)
• Recital 2000 (2000)
• Lutosławski Partita for Violin and Orchestra/Chain 2 (2002)
• Beethoven Violin Concerto (2002)
• Tango Song and Dance (2003)
• Previn Violin Concerto/Bernstein Serenade (2003)
• Tchaikovsky & Korngold Violin Concertos (2004)
• Dutilleux Sur le même accord/Bartok Violin Concerto No. 2/Stravinsky Concerto en ré (2005)
• Mozart The Violin Concertos (2005)
• Mozart Piano Trios K502, K542, K548 (2006)
• Mozart The Violin Sonatas (August, 2006)
On EMI Classics:
• Mozart Violin Concertos Nos. 2 & 4 (1982)
• Bach Violin Concertos/Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra (1983)
• Brahms Violin Sonatas (1983)
• Vivaldi The Four Seasons (1984)
• Lalo: Symphonie Espagnole/Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen (1985)
• Mozart Violin Concerto No. 1, Sinfonia Concertante (1991)
On Erato:
• Glazunov Violin Concerto/Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 1 (1989)
Devil's Dance
Anne-Sophie Mutter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a woman that’s triflin’ like you
And I’m sure, I’m sure, I’m sure you’ll find somebody new
Will it get as easy for me too
Tell me was it true, you fell in love with me
Tell me was it true, ‘cause I’d never believe
You sure looked like you had a lot of fun
But I can’t be the one to chain you down
Oh honey, sugar, darling, why did you have to go
Leaving love for living life on the road
Oh heartbreak after heartbreak does pay the toll
The raining in my heart’s cause to overflow
Tell me was it true, you fell in love with me
Tell me was it true, ‘cause I’d never believe
I saw you dance in the Devil’s arms
You sure looked like you had a lot of fun
But I can’t be the one to chain you down
Tell me was it true, you fell in love with me
Tell me was it true, ‘cause I’d never believe
I saw you dance in the Devil’s arms
You sure looked like you had a lot of fun
But I can’t be the one to chain you down
Oh I can’t be the one to chain you down
Oh I can’t be the one to chain you down
The song "Devil's Dance" by Anne-Sophie Mutter, Vienna Philharmonic, and John Williams explores the painful experience of being in love with someone who is unfaithful and unable to commit. The lyrics convey a sense of frustration and heartbreak as the singer grapples with their feelings and the realization that their partner is not capable of being faithful.
The opening lines express the singer's confusion and uncertainty about how to handle their partner's unfaithful behavior. The repetition of "Oh lawdy-lawdy-lawdy-lawdy" emphasizes their exasperation and disbelief at the situation. They acknowledge that the person they are involved with is trifling, or untrustworthy, and wonders if they will be able to move on and find someone new just as easily as their partner seems to do.
The chorus highlights the singer's struggle to comprehend the truth about their partner's feelings. They question whether their partner truly fell in love with them or if it was all just an illusion. The repetition of "Tell me was it true, 'cause I'd never believe" reflects their skepticism and inability to trust their partner's words.
The mention of dancing in the Devil's arms indicates the wild and reckless nature of their partner's actions. It suggests that they engage in risky behavior and enjoy the thrill of it, even if it causes pain to their loved ones. The singer recognizes this, but they are also aware that they cannot be the one to hold their partner back or try to change them. They acknowledge their inability to chain their partner down or restrict their freedom.
The final lines of the song echo the singer's realization that they cannot control their partner's actions. They express their sadness and disappointment as their heart continues to break over and over again. The idea of rain overflowing from their heart symbolizes the overwhelming emotions they experience due to their partner's unfaithfulness.
In conclusion, "Devil's Dance" delves into the emotional turmoil of loving someone who is unfaithful and unwilling to commit. It captures the frustration, heartbreak, and the struggle to come to terms with the reality of the situation. The song emphasizes the singer's acceptance that they cannot change their partner and must find a way to move on from the pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh lawdy-lawdy-lawdy-lawdy what do I do
Oh my goodness, what do I do?
With a woman that’s triflin’ like you
With a woman who is deceitful or unfaithful like you
And I’m sure, I’m sure, I’m sure you’ll find somebody new
And I'm certain, I'm certain, I'm certain that you'll find someone else
Will it get as easy for me too
Will it become as effortless for me as well
Tell me was it true, you fell in love with me
Please inform me, was it genuine that you fell in love with me
Tell me was it true, ‘cause I’d never believe
Inform me if it was true, because I wouldn't believe it
I saw you dance in the Devil’s arms
I witnessed you figuratively embrace danger or temptation
You sure looked like you had a lot of fun
You definitely appeared to enjoy yourself
But I can’t be the one to chain you down
However, I cannot be the person to restrict your freedom
Oh honey, sugar, darling, why did you have to go
Oh dear, beloved, darling, why did you choose to depart
Leaving love for living life on the road
Abandoning love in favor of a nomadic or adventurous life
Oh heartbreak after heartbreak does pay the toll
Oh the accumulation of heartbreaks takes a toll
The raining in my heart’s cause to overflow
The emotional pain has caused my heart to become overwhelmed
Tell me was it true, you fell in love with me
Please tell me, did you truly fall in love with me
Tell me was it true, ‘cause I’d never believe
Inform me if it was true, because I wouldn't trust it
I saw you dance in the Devil’s arms
I witnessed you figuratively embrace danger or temptation
You sure looked like you had a lot of fun
You definitely appeared to enjoy yourself
But I can’t be the one to chain you down
However, I cannot be the person to restrict your freedom
Tell me was it true, you fell in love with me
Please inform me, did you truly fall in love with me
Tell me was it true, ‘cause I’d never believe
Inform me if it was true, because I wouldn't trust it
I saw you dance in the Devil’s arms
I witnessed you figuratively embrace danger or temptation
You sure looked like you had a lot of fun
You definitely appeared to enjoy yourself
But I can’t be the one to chain you down
However, I cannot be the person to restrict your freedom
Oh I can’t be the one to chain you down
Oh, I cannot be the person to restrict your freedom
Oh I can’t be the one to chain you down
Oh, I cannot be the person to restrict your freedom
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
zoltan902
I'll say it again - it's amazing how well JW can re-interpret his own works.
Daniela Bisenius
Now, where can we find the sheet music for this???? Especially the intro.... which is the best part.
thegoodgeneral
Holy shit. Why isn't this on the album???
František Fuka
Because this arrangement didn't exist until 2018.
thegoodgeneral
@GGbreizh I have vague memories of listening to a violin + orchestra version at some point, but the piano and violin version is fresher in my mind. Thanks for the answer and all these wonderful uploads lately. That 1981 interview is an absolute gem.
GGbreizh
Mutter said he was still working a new arrangement of the piece when they recorded the album. She implied that a version for violin and orchestra was already out there but that Williams wanted to rework it. I only knew the version for violin and piano, so I have perhaps misunderstood her words. If this alternate version with orchestra really existed I am curious to hear it.