Violin for Relaxation

Jules Massenet (Composer), Sergey Rachmaninov (Composer), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Composer), Manuel de Falla (Composer), Ralph Vaughan Williams (Composer), Claude Debussy (Composer), Kosaku Yamada (Composer), Felix [1] Mendelssohn (Composer), Johann Sebastian Bach (Composer), Maria Theresia von Paradis (Composer), Edward Elgar (Composer), Olivier Messiaen (Composer), Andrew Litton (Conductor), Vladimir Spivakov (Conductor), Claus Peter Flor (Conductor), Pinchas Zukerman (Conductor), Leonard Slatkin (Conductor), Moscow Virtuosi (Performer), Philharmonia Orchestra of London (Orchestra), Philharmonia Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Moscow Virtuosi
• Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra of London, Philharmonia Orchestra
• Conductor: Andrew Litton, Vladimir Spivakov, Claus Peter Flor, Pinchas Zukerman, Leonard Slatkin
• Composer: Jules Massenet, Sergey Rachmaninov, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Manuel de Falla, Ralph Vaughan Williams, et al.
• Audio CD (May 16, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B00004SSEC
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #51,370 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #59 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Modern, 20th, & 21st Century > Composers > Vaughan Williams, Ralph

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars VIOLIN, September 10, 2005

By 

Lim C. Yin - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Violin for Relaxation (Audio CD)

The selection of music was a good mix and pleasant in listening to them.

The choice of orchestras and conductors are also very well selected offering very good variety in the similar music mood.

My two long time favourites "Meditation" and "Salut d'amour" were very well played in the right tempo and instrumental arrangement.

The recording quality is good offering both clarity and defination in the recording.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A regular listener's impression, March 23, 2006

By 

Kelly - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Violin for Relaxation (Audio CD)

I am not an expert in classical music, but have always loved the string instruments. I bought this CD for relaxation (as the title implies) and to help me focus on writing a thesis. I was torn between this CD and the Cello for Relaxation. I am pleased with my choice. My favorites are track #2 and #10 (listen to the samples through Amazon) - I usually play these two on repeat. My least favorite is track #7 because it sounds like a piano dominated movie soundtrack.
Although I wish I could have exchanged some of the tracks for others, I think this CD was worth the money and is a nice mix for those of us who don't know specific composers by name or who want a good sampling.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Music For Chilling Out and Winding Down, November 2, 2009

By 

Rebecca*rhapsodyinblue* (CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Violin for Relaxation (Audio CD)

It is ever so good to settle in a comfy chair and listen to the sounds of violin when you just want to chill out and wind down. "Violin For Relaxation" is simply the perfect CD that I wholeheartedly recommend if you want to slow everything down and reduce the speed of time. It is also an ideal music for doing Pilates workout. In addition to having excellent sound quality mastered by the high-tech engineers from BMG Classics and RCA Victor, the disc boasts an impressive repertoire of classical favorites that will grab the listener's undivided attention.

The presentation starts off with my all-time favorite classical piece, "Meditation" from the opera "Thais" by French composer Jules Massenet. It features Philharmonia Orchestra with conductor Andrew Litton and Anne Akiko Meyers on violin. This piece has a powerful effect on my musical sensibilities that every time I listen to it, I am deeply moved by its sheer beauty. To my ears, it is absolutely one of the most stunningly beautiful and profoundly moving compositions ever written.

Sergei Rachmaninoff's "Vocalise" is also a highlight. This composition was not written for violin transcription, but it is often played with a combination of violin and piano. The result is astoundingly moving. It captivates your ears and long after you've listened to the disc in its entirety, you'll find yourself humming this particular tune. Two of the finest classical musicians, violinist Vladimir Spivakov and pianist Sergei Bezrodny, played it to perfection. The pair also performed Claude Debussy's "En Bateau," which was originally written for solo piano, but again, their performance exceeded my expectation. It is as beautiful as "Vocalise." One of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's most brilliant concerti, "Violin Concerto No. 5 in A, K. 219" was also eloquently rendered by Vladimir Spivakov with the Moscow Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra.

From the high drama of Massenet's "Meditation" to the eternal charms of Rachmaninoff's "Vocalise," you'll find this violin music very pleasing to the ears...and yes, very soul satisfying.

"Do you know that our soul is composed of harmony?" ~ Leonardo da Vinci ~