Joshua Bell - The Kreisler Album: Joshua Bell Plays Music By Fritz Kreisler
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Free Music Notes for The Kreisler Album: Joshua Bell Plays Music By Fritz Kreisler
Free Music Review: Perfection.
Hit: 5 Stars
Joshua Bell is obviously a master at what he does. This album shows he's a master at something else--making a piece of music even more beautiful and fun than even the composer intended.I usually can't handle listening to endless violin concertos, (even when they're played by Josh, probably the best violinist of his generation and my personal favorite), so this recording gives me an easy way of listening to Josh's playing without stressing my patience. The shortness of Kreisler's compositions doesn't discount their attractiveness. In fact, because the longest piece on this album is under six minutes (Praeludium and Allegro), it leaves me wanting more... which means I just have to listen to it over and over!
I would be hard-pressed to name the "best" compositions on this album, but I will say that if you've heard "Tambourin chinois" played by anyone else, you will be stunned to hear Josh's version. Each piece sounds fresh and alive and completely lovely, especially with Paul Coker's fabulous piano accompaniment (so light and pretty!).
"Praeludium and Allegro" is fiesty, "Schon Rosmarin" is like dancing, "Caprice viennois" is romantic, "La Precieuse" is a miniature sonata, "Liebesfreud" is punchy, "Liebeslied" is lyrical, "La gitana" is moody, "Berceuse romantique" is heavenly, "Polichinelle" is playful, "Rondino" is classic, "Tempo di minuetto" is regal, "Toy-Soldiers' March" is a story in song, "Allegretto" is bright, "Marche miniature viennoise" is sexy, "Aucassin and Nicolette" is a love story, "Menuett" is heraldic, "Sicilienne and Rigaudon" is dramatic, and "Sycopation" is spirited. I almost feel like I'm listening to Josh sing these pieces rather than play them.
If you like the violin, or Joshua Bell, or or even just simply gorgeous music, you'll like this album--you'd have no reason not to.
Free Music Review: Bell plays Kreisler - a perfect combination
Hit: 5 Stars
Most violinists love Kreisler; somewhere in his many compositions can be found a piece to suit all moods - grandiose, sensuous, playful, sparkling. Furthermore, many are sufficiently easy technically to be played by amateurs of very little talent, such as myself. Bell plays the pieces on this CD superbly; he clearly loves this music. Each piece he turns and inspects thoughtfully so that it shines from all its different facets; and the beautifully balanced selection of pieces illuminatesthe essence of Fritz Kreisler's easy-going genius. This CD made me rush to pick up my violin and play again those pieces that I already knew, and to rush out and buy the music for some of the ones I didn't - for example I thought Bell's rendition of "Tempo di minuetto" was a revelation. Bell with this CD further establishes his position as a superb musician and one of the greatest of contemporary violinists, who is equally at home with the most demanding of large-scale concertos as with the most delicate chamber works. I feel sure Kreisler himself would have loved this performance. It is rare that one listens to a CD where one can think of nothing that could have been improved - except of course had it been twice as long! Come on Josh - there's a lot more Kreisler out there - give us Bell plays Kreisler II!
Free Music Review: There are three: Fritz Kreisler, Zino Francescatti, and Joshua Bell
Hit: 5 Stars
I can remember fifty years ago bringing copies of Victor Red Seal records of Fritz Kreisler home from piles of 78s left out for disposal. I'd play them on my record player and marvel at the sound! I have some of them to this day. I got serious about classical music after high school, and I started to collect Kreisler's LPs, then CDs. Later, I heard Zino Francescatti on LP, and then I was turned on to Joshua Bell by my supervisor at work. She brought me this CD, and I was hooked. Mr. Bell plays Kreisler better than anyone else today. He has some of Kreisler's humor, too. He's a young, serious, but flexible violinist who knows how to interpret Mr. Kreisler's music. In short, I highly recommend this recording, and, of course, the original Kreisler works on RCA, Biddulph, Naxos, and Pearl. Check out Francescatti's Kreisler tribute album on Columbia LP. I've bought several other discs by Francescatti, and other discs by Bell. Buy used copies on Amazon, as I do. Experiment a little. Anyway, for a sure thing, get this CD!Free Music Review: Second only to Kreisler himself?
Hit: 5 Stars
Anyone who ever dismissed Kreisler as a composer of cheap encore music is going to have to eat his/her words upon listening to this CD. Other violinists tend to treat Kreisler's works too roughly, or as encore pieces only a step above PDQ Bach. Violinists want to show off- it is their nature to be big and agressive and passionate in a fiery way. But that is not what is required here. A violinist has to throw him/herself wholeheartedly into the warmth and romanticism of these pieces to play them just right. And Joshua does that, better than anyone else save Kreisler himself. He obviously loves the music, has a great deal of fun playing it. He truly brings out the wit and charm in all of these pieces. As it turns out, Kreisler wrote some really good music. If you didn't notice that before, you will notice it in this CD.Free Music Review: Bell on Kreisler
Hit: 5 Stars
Joshua Bell has once again demonstrated that even at his young age, he has established himself as one of the eminent musicians of our time. The stylistic, intuitive playing found on this disc is, in my estimation, umparalleled except for Kreisler's own recordings of this music. Bell's timing and exquisite sense of grace, conjours up images of Kreisler in a stately parlor perhaps playing for just himself. The irony in the music's ability to sound both personal and grandiose is breathtaking. Bell seems to bring us into both the world of Kreisler and the world of Joshua Bell, simultaneously. This has been one of my favorite cd's in my collection for some time now.