Description
This two-disc set compiles Joshua Bell's early performances of lighter fare for the violin: virtuoso encores and show stopping bonbons. He was only 19 in 1986 when he recorded his debut for Decca, Presenting Joshua Bell, which comprises the first half of the present package. It certainly did the trick as a calling card, announcing the arrival of a major young talent (with his wholesome, boy-next-door looks serving as the perfect foil to his seemingly demonic technique). Bookended by two real finger-busters, Wieniawski's Thme original vari and Sarasate's Carmen Fantasy, the recital also demonstrated Bell's expressive, singing tone in pieces by Sibelius, Bloch, Schumann, and others. Listeners didn't have to wait long for Bell to record the classic violin concertos, but most of the exceptional qualities of his playing were already apparent here. In 1995, Bell returned to the virtuoso showpiece repertoire with a vengeance, this time focusing strictly on the work of Fritz Kreisler. The Kreisler Album (the second disc in this reissue) is a loving tribute to the legendary Austrian violinist and composer, surveying an eclectic swath of his work. Composed for Kreisler's own use in concert, the 19 pieces range from the very Viennese Schn Rosmarin to the exotic strains of a Tamburin chinois; he also wrote such convincing imitations of Baroque and Classical styles that for many years he passed them off as actual works by composers like Couperin and Boccherini. Bell's command of his instrument -- and of the art of interpretation -- had only deepened over the prior decade, but he had certainly lost none of his youthful vigor. Put together, the two halves of this release add up to some of the most beautiful and downright enjoyable work of his career so far.
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