David Garrett

David Garrett (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 2, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Decca Records
• ASIN: B001UW58WW
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (94 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,310 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #8 in Music > Classical > Chamber Music > General
  • #14 in Music > Classical > Chamber Music > By Period > Classical (c.1770-1830)
  • #14 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Classical (c.1770-1830) > Forms & Genres

Track Listings

1. Summer (Vivaldi)

2. Nothing Else Matters (Metallica)

3. He's A Pirate ("Pirate's Of The Caribbean" Theme)

4. Smooth Criminal (Michael Jackson)

5. Csardas (Gypsy Dance)

6. Who Wants To Live Forever? (Queen)

7. Thunderstruck (AC/DC)

8. Ain't No Sunshine

9. Carmen Fantaisie with Paco Pena

10. Air (Johann Sebastian Bach)

11. Zorba's Dance (From "Zorba The Greek")

12. Chelsea Girl

13. Rock Prelude

14. Dueling Banjos (Dueling Strings)

Editorial Reviews

Review

David Garrett is already the stuff of legend in him is enshrined an entire corpus of virtuoso violin art, expounded with a fearsome beauty beyond comprehension. --BBC Music Magazine

Product Description

Garrett's unique, and wholly individual style, pays as much homage to Metallica as to Mozart. His forthcoming record covers an incredibly diverse selection of repertoire, representing his love for many genres, and the ability to tackle each successfully. Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal," is cleverly reinterpreted, as is Queen's ballad, "Who Wants to Live Forever." AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" is given a memorable new twist, alongside, "He's a Pirate," from "Pirates of the Caribbean." Given his enduring commitment to his first musical love, David still includes some classical selections on his American debut, including the last movement of Vivaldi's "Summer" from The Four Seasons, and Bach's "Air". Not to be satisfied with only imaginative covers, David also displays his own deft writing skills with notable originals, including "Chelsea Girl."

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Electrifying blend of classical and modern, July 28, 2009

By 

S. Hodge - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: David Garrett (Audio CD)

Wunderkind David Garrett grew up in Aachen, Germany and studied violin under Ida Haendel and Itzhak Perlman before graduating from Juilliard in 2004. As a child prodigy, he was subjected to a grueling rehearsal schedule of classical repertoire (he injured his back and shoulders recording Paganini: Caprices as a teen), but the freedom of NYC (including the huge music library at Juilliard and various clubs) opened up a new world of musical possibilities. David supplemented his income by modeling for print magazines like Vogue and Fashion Week for Armani while at Juilliard; his striking looks and broad crossover appeal have earned him the nickname "the David Beckham of classical music." Garrett's response? "He kind of drew a new audience to football, OK mostly female, but that's not a bad thing. I think that's why people actually say that because they know I really try very hard to get new audiences for classical music."

I first heard of David Garrett in a Barnes and Noble and was hooked. After watching numerous clips and interviews (both German and English) on YouTube, I was blown away by his utter confidence and poise. You can see at once that this is someone who truly loves music and his instrument (he plays both a 1717 Stradivarius and a 1772 Guadagnini, which he badly damaged after falling on it); just like growing up bilingually with a German father and American mother, he's equally at home as ambassador of classical and pop.

"David Garrett" is actually David's fourth solo album for Decca after Free, Virtuoso, and Encore, and most of the tracks are pulled from these three albums (I would have liked to see the inclusion of "Claire de Lune" from Encore). The themes run the gamut from Baroque (Vivaldi's "Summer" from the Four Seasons, Bach's "Air") to Romantic (Bizet's "Carmen Fantasie"), a dash of Italian Gypsy, modern rock (Metallica, Queen, AC/DC, Michael Jackson), film scores (Zorba the Greek, Pirates of the Caribbean), and original works ("Chelsea Girl," "Rock Prelude"). The album opens with a high-octane rendition of Vivaldi that might bring to mind Vanessa-Mae or perhaps the eccentric Nigel Kennedy, but David makes this all his own, and at breakneck speed.

My favorites are the uptempo tracks, particularly the "He's a Pirate" theme from Pirates of the Caribbean. This Hans Zimmer gem is a cross between sweeping score reminiscent of the Chieftains' score for TNT's "Treasure Island" with the stately delicacy of a bourrée. The xylophone echoes the violin, accented by triangle and harp. The intense "Smooth Criminal" opens with tympani mimicking a heartbeat...chilling and effective. David's aggressive bowing in the first part slides into a near-human wail as he duets with the electric guitar, then returns to the staccato melody. Queen and AC/DC are given similarly effective treatment. Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" also translates well to the violin medium, buoyed by the assertive piano bassline. I loved the rollicking "Zorba's Dance" but was a little underwhelmed by "Dueling Strings" (I just can't distance the song from Deliverance (Deluxe Edition)).

Overall, this is a fun, flashy album that showcases David's immense technical talent and will hopefully attract younger listeners to classical repertoire. Purists will likely not be impressed, but for casual listeners, this is a catchy album that does justice to familiar tunes (hey, if it gets today's youth interested in Bach and Vivaldi, that's a good thing). Be sure to check out David's charismatic live performance of these songs on David Garrett: Live In Berlin.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic mix of old and modern brought together, June 16, 2009

By 

Paul Morehouse (Seattle Wa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: David Garrett (Amazon MP3 Exclusive Version) (MP3 Download)

I heard about David Garrett on NPR recently and thought I would give it a listen. I love the way this CD has a great mix of some older fantastic classical pieces mixed in with modern day songs. The arrangements are wonderful and exciting and his violin skills are amazing!

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I became a fan, June 15, 2009

By 

Mark N. Gulko "Sydney's Papa" (Boynton Beach, FL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: David Garrett (Amazon MP3 Exclusive Version) (MP3 Download)

It was the TV commercial that got me interested. And then I listened to the snippets available on Amazon. So I bought the whole album. I have listened several times to it and will now be buying more of this exciting artist's albums. Hard to believe I'd ever be a fan of the violin.