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Binding: Audio CD EAN: 0827969777923 Label: Sony Manufacturer: Sony Number Of Discs: 1 Publisher: Sony Release Date: September 05, 2006 Studio: Sony Sales Rank: 1883 MPN: 97779
Amazon.com: Constantly exhorted to "sing," string players naturally try to emulate that most beautiful musical instrument, the human voice; no wonder they literally want to get their fingers on the treasures of the vocal repertoire. Joshua Bell has appropriated some of its best-loved songs and operatic arias, from Mozart through the romantics to Orff. Slow, sustained, lovely and yes, singing, these beguiling melodies and wide emotional range are eminently well suited to the violin. Credit for most of the arrangements is given to J.A.C. Redford, a well-known film and television composer, and indeed the throbbing strings and jarring modulations typical of sound-tracks invade his orchestrations, in startling contrast to the composers' own. In Debussy's "Beau soir," pianist Frederic Chiu partners Bell so beautifully that one wishes he had supplanted the orchestra in all the songs with piano accompaniment. The violin transcriptions of the vocal line closely follow the originals, except for Redford's compulsive habit of adding octaves in the repeats and jumping from the lowest to the highest register. Of course, Bell is very good at all this, and it's the playing that's really the thing. His tone is ravishingly beautiful, warm on the G-string, radiant up high, and always deeply expressive. His love and innate feeling for the music---its inward simplicity, romantic yearning and passionate ardor---speak straight to the heart. In the only authentic violin part, the obbligato of Richard Strauss' "Morgen!" he is joined by the golden-voiced soprano Anna Netrebko; at first overly intense, she relaxes into a blissful, magical ending. --Edith Eisler
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Life with Joshua
Joshua Bell's recording of Voice of the Violin is one of the best purchases I've made recently. I've kept it playing in the background during the Christmas flurry and find it soothes and inspires my soul. ... Read More
Rating: - Sweet melancholy
This album is filled with beautiful music, but if you're looking for the firey, glitzy Joshua Bell you might want to look elsewhere. The music is slow, quiet, and melancholy. If you're a person who "curls up ... Read More
Rating: - The Captivating Voice of Joshua Bell's 1713 Stradivarius Violin
"Choosing the works for this album was a delightful journey, a wonderful excuse to immerse myself in the rich treasury of music written for the voice....I hope many listeners will appreciate this tribute to the ... Read More
Rating: - Enjoying the violin
After I bought the Ladies in Lavender I had to buy Johuas Bell music.
I heard him play the Brahms violinconcert april 2003 and became a fan.
One period in my life I almost hated violin music maybe because ... Read More
Rating: - A splendid piece of work...
I am a classical singer, my mother plays the violin, so I know how closely they are related. Joshua Bell has chosen some beautifu selections. Some of my favorite pieces on this compilation are pieces I have actually sung. ... Read More
- Life with Joshua
- Sweet melancholy