Customer Reviews

Voice of the Violin

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Many of Joshua Bell's legion of admirers praise not only his fine technique but also his ability of make the more liquid passages of his performances approximate the human voice in his vocal approach to the line. Here he takes advantage of that aspect of his musicianship and offers a strong recital of some of everyone's favorite arias and songs as transcribed for the violin and orchestra.

Bell is especially fine in this vein, giving these lush and elegant melodies the quality of sound and tone that have been his hallmark through his career. Included in the recital are such varied works as Rachmaninov's Vocalise, of course Ave Maria, Song to the Moon from Rusalka, Una furtiva lagrima, Je crois entendre encore from The Pearl Fishers, Pourquoi me réveiller from Werther, In trutina from Carmina Burana, Laudate Dominum from Mozart's Vesperae solennes de confessore, None but the Lonely Heart, with others. Bell's friends round out this celebration: Anna Netrebko sings Strauss' 'Morgen' with Bell playing the violin obligato and Frederic Chiu accompanies him on the piano in Debussy's 'Beau soir'.

This is not a heavyweight program (some of the orchestral transcriptions beg indulgence), but instead it is a selection of very beautiful songs and arias given their due by the very talented Joshua Bell. Keep one copy in the car: it is the kind of CD that will smooth out even the worst of freeway snarls! Recommended. Grady Harp, September 06

Joshua Bell has the amazing ability to melt the listener with his magical playing. Probably the most romantic violinist of our generation, Bell's most recent recordings haven't disappointed his passionate admirers. Being a violinist myself, I listen to Joshua bell for my inspiration more than any other artist. Although sometimes almost too wet on the strings, Joshua's lightness with the bow and the energy he puts into his playing can't be ignored. Voice of the Violin is very close to his previous successful recording, Romance of the Violin in its slow, fanciful phrasing. However, Bell uses very many composers that differ greatly from the "lullaby" effect The Romance of the Violin created. I highly recommend this recording to anyone who appreciates emotional, peaceful, and truly lovely music.

I'm just getting into classical music. I first heard Joshua Bell on the Appalachian tinged "Short Ride Home" cd that he performed on with Sam Bush and Edgar Meyer,and I thought that album was terrific. I especially liked Joshua Bell's achingly gorgeous violin playing on the title track.

So I got this iTunes download next, and I love it! "Ave Maria" is beautiful, and the emotive violin and harp playing on "Pourquoi me réveiller from Werther" will create a nice atmosphere for reflection. This cd is something I can listen to in the office while I am typing or reading. The violin playing is lovely. If you're looking for something to play in the office or as relaxing music while at home or in the car, you won't be disappointed with this!

It's precisely because of its resemblance to the human voice that the violin has been the king of cross-over, going back centuries before that term existed. It's the most emotional of instruments. Joshua Bell has taken full advantage of this. In amazon's top 20 classical albums, this one and his earlier "Romance of the Violin" both hold a place. For a serious listener like me, it's a bit shocking to find that there's not a single legitimate classical work represented on the list (not until #21, Hilary Han's CD of concertos by Spohr and Paganini).

Bell has made himself the pop violinist of choice, and to tell the truth, he deserves it. despite the soupy arrangements in the background, his playing is pure and impeccably musical. No schmaltz or playing to the bleachers for him. Two generatoins ago Kreisler and Heifetz wowed the masses at the dawn of classical recordings, so why not keep the gret tradition going? My one reservation is that Bell is too self-effacing. A passionate aria like Masssenet's Pourquoi me reveiller sounds too cool and controlled. But there's no denying that this CD will satisfy his many fans.

I met Joshua Bell's music through a friend who made me listen to O Mio Babbino Caro from his Romance of the Violin CD. I was touched by the music, awed to hear such great playing. As a result I grabbed the CD right away and listened to all of the songs and to my delight all of them were just great.

As a result when Joshua's follow up to the Romance of the Violin appeared on shelves, I bought it right away. The playing is great, as expected. What causes me to rate the CD 4 stars is the selection of pieces. They are all great, don't get me wrong but when compared with Romance of the Violin they are not as touching. Perhaps this stems from the fact that Romace of the Violin was intended to be a more touching album, was intended to contain more romantic music, hence its name. I just have to say that I like the selections from the first album better.

But as we all know, people have different tastes and I'm sure there will be people who like the pieces better on this one. But regardless of personal tastes, Joshua's exceptionally beautiful playing makes this a worthy addition to any classical music library.

I'll have to admit I steered a bit clear of Joshua Bell in the early years of his career. My aversion wasn't based on his musical abilities. He was one of the performers that a few music industry publicity people decided would appeal to a younger audience so he was dressed as a teenaged heart throb that seemed to belong on the cover of a magazine geared toward junior high school girls than a lover of good, serious music. I think I resented shameless attempts to lure a "younger crowd" into concert halls to hear a symphony. I was young at the time and it didn't matter to me whether the guy on the cover was wearing a tux and might be a bit overweight or if he looked like the kid next door or the woman was slightly flawed wearing a gown or if she looked like a sex symbol. All I cared about was the music and I responded by not purchasing any of the various wunderkind releases and Joshua Bell was in this category. Of course I could boycott the recordings but I couldn't ignore the likes of Joshua Bell. He was always on television, performing with symphony orchestras (classical music radio stations still broadcast a plethora of concerts at the time) and I think only the most closed minded listeners could deny his talent. Since that time I've seen him perform and what I've found is an amiable performer with great talent who knows people that while people are paying to hear him play, the performance has to be about the music and not the performer and even if he hasn't aged, at least according to the cover photos on his recordings, he has matured as a performer. His technique is still evolving which could one day earn him a place with some of the great violinists (remember he's only in his thirties, he still has quite a career ahead of him), and he's able to perform some of the works of the greet classical composers and pieces with popular appeal without getting gimmicky.

VOICE OF THE VIOLIN is a collection of vocal pieces arranged fop the violin. Each of the arrangements works well for violin. The challenge is performing them with the same passion we are used to when we hear them performed by vocalists. Just about every tenor and soprano of note has performed and recorded Schubert's "Ave Maria." Massenet's "Porquoi Me Reveller" from WERTHER is a showstopper that was a favorite of tenors from Caruso to Pavarotti. Fans of Fredericka Von Stade and Renee Fleming have grown to love "Song to the Moon" from RUSALKA. We've grown accustomed to the greats singing many of the works on this collection with beauty and gusto. Chances are expectations are high for anyone familiar with these works. Bell delivers. He evokes the emotions of each piece and in a way his violin does sing as he performs. This can be tricky. So often vocal works, especially those from the operatic stage, don't adapt all that well to instrumental transcriptions and it is the rare instrumental performer that can do justice to the works, but Joshua Bell seems to in this recording.

Fans of Joshua Bell do not need to be convinced of the merits of this recording. Some may feel this is not a serious enough recording but I think most people who enjoy good music will appreciate Bell's artistry and the beautiful melodies are sure to give listeners hours of pleasure.

I've just bought Joshua Bell new CD "Voice of the Violin" and I'm absolutely in love with the lush romantic violin playing, and the new violin selections. I'm a big fan of Joshua Bell, and seing him live in concert is even better!! I have all of his cd's and I never tire of listening to them. Keep up the fantastic violin playing!!

The violin is the instrument closest to the human voice in its ability to express a multitude of shades of emotion, with a tonal and dynamic range that allows the violin to sing with a voice unique among instruments. Joshua Bell beautifully exhibits the expressive potential of the violin's voice in the carefully chosen and sensitively played pieces on this CD.

I feel that Joshua Bell is the greatest romantic violin soloist performing today, and his expressive abilities and incomparable beauty of tone are fully exemplified in this outstanding recording. I can't see any lover of beautiful music being disappointed in this CD.

The dictum that the cello is the closest string instrument to the human voice is no longer valid. The most famous- the 1713 Gibson-Huberman- Sradivarius violin, twice stolen and missing for 50 years, has found finally its master. Joshua Bell, miraculously, transforms the four strings of his violin into two human vocal cords which sing lusciously with all the pathos, vulnerability, hope and love that a song can transcend. Bell is not only technically a fomidable artist but also a visionary, who knows the possible imitations of his instrument to evoke loftier plateaus of human feelings, and to reach one's soul. And he finshes this CD, how appropriately, and in perfect juxtaposition and sequence, with the human voice of a soprano- the most etherial, illusive and delicate of all instruments. To choose Anna Netrebko to sing Stauss' song "Morgen"(Tomorrow)-among several world-famous sopranos- it was pefection in the making. A great pretender- a Stradivarius in the hands of master, competing with the real thing- Netrebko's glorious voice. On this CD, both win our hearts, minds, souls, and spirits.

Constanrine A. Papas
El Paso, Texas

Beautiful renditions of some classic violin pieces - very calming music. Better than Prozac or a martini. Many numbers are haunting and will stay with you all day long.