London Philharmonic Orchestra / Anne-Sophie Mutter / Karina Canellakis

"You can't call her talent, she's simply a genius." It was Herbert von Karajan who once knighted Anne-Sophie Mutter with these words. That was almost 50 years ago – and he was right: To this day, her name is synonymous with world-class violin playing. "If you want to get to know me, you have to see me on stage," the musician says of herself. Separating her life from music? Impossible. Her credo: Classical music belongs in everyday life, at the heart of society. She would have had a good understanding with Pyotr Tchaikovsky on this point. Music was a refuge and an elixir for him. His magnificent violin concerto was written during difficult times and saved his life: "In such a state of mind, creation completely loses the character of work; it is pure bliss!"