The very first notes of this extraordinary performance show how thoughtfully Anne-Sophie Mutter has approached the work. Sibelius s marking for the solo violin is dolce ed espressivo, which for most violinists would mean with vibrato. But Mutter plays senza vibrato and achieves a hauntingly expressive effect over the muted pianissimo oscillations of the orchestral violins. Happily, she sustains this high level of engagement with the score through the entire account, playing the taxing solo part with riveting intensity, making every note count, producing a gloriously rich and varied tone, and giving the listener a memorable musical experience in the process. The effect of all this on Andrй Previn and the Staatskapelle Dresden, to paraphrase Mark Twain, appears to have been prompt and electric. They give a spectacular reading of the score, one notable for both its sonorous depth and its sense of atmosphere.

To capture the brilliant partnership between violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and pianist Lambert Orkis, one only has to look to their riveting recording of Beethoven s Violin Sonatas. Over the course of those four CDs, the pair revealed themselves to be a lively, sympathetic team. The same description could be used for this single-CD recital, featuring four very different 20th-century compositions from four very different composers. The spiky nature and high notes of Prokofiev s Sonata stand in direct contrast with George Crumb s Four Nocturnes, a fragmented but short sonic journey filled with subtle harmonics and stark, hallucinogenic movements. Moving to Webern s Four Pieces, Mutter and Orkis literally define the essence of collaboration

This is certainly one of the great collections of modern music, and it s much to Mutter s credit that she plays this music. She s not just a babe, though that s frequently how she s packaged on CD covers. She can really play, with tremendous fire, for instance, on the great Bartok 2d, or subtlety and nuance on the Berg. The two Lutoslawski s call for rapid changes in style, perhaps Mutter s greatest strength. The lesser known works on this set are really worth it, too--the Moret is dazzling, the Rihm mysterious and beautiful.

Queen Catherine is old and can never give Henry a male heir. The king becomes captivated with the sensual and spirited noble woman Anne Boleyn the outcome will shake the nation to its very roots.

Henry has been a widower for two years but political diplomacy and Thomas Cromwell urge the king to choose Anne of Cleves. Will the match prove a triumph or a disaster?

In nineteenth century Yorkshire wealthy orphan Anne Lister lives with an aunt and uncle, anxious for her to marry well and blissfully - unaware that she is a lesbian. Anne is recording her thoughts and exploits in a coded diary. When her lover Mariana Belcombe makes a marriage of convenience to rich old Charles Lawton she feels betrayed and, although Mariana visits her,the relationship is going nowhere. Helped by old flame Tib she makes a play for innocent Miss Browne but sees she is barking up the wrong tree and diverts herself by renovating the family hall. A drunken Tib almost exposes her secret and scornful mine-owner Christopher Rawson, whose marriage proposal she rejects, tells her that her sexuality is a subject of local gossip....

In Acrobat X Tips and Tricks, Anne-Marie Concepciуn uses her intimate knowledge of Acrobat to reveal the application s hidden gems.