Product Notes
Joshua Bell and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields present two of Ludwig van Beethoven's most graceful and buoyant symphonies for this Sony release and play them with a lightness and freshness that many listeners will welcome. Bell makes his recording debut as a conductor with this 2013 CD, and his adoption of historically informed practices ensures that the music has clean textures and brisk tempos, qualities long associated with the Academy's tradition of playing Beethoven in the spirit of the Classical era. Once past the solemn Adagio introduction, the Symphony No. 4 in B flat major is effervescent and unrestrained in its cheerfulness, and Bell's light touch and the orchestra's deft execution make this one of the most charming interpretations available. This work is paired with the exuberant Symphony No. 7 in A major, which corresponds with its joyous dance rhythms and transparent orchestration, and balances the program with its similar formal proportions and length. Both performances offer closely considered interpretations, showing that Bell is particularly concerned with crisp articulation and subtly graded dynamics, and his attention to details brings out many inner parts that are sometimes lost in thicker sounding conventional readings. But these are far from myopic readings, because Bell has an innate feeling for phrasing and trajectory, so the larger expressions are fully communicated. Sony's reproduction is transparent and vibrant, and the music was captured with close-up clarity and warmth. ~ Blair Sanderson, Rovi
Product Reviews
Joshua Bell and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields present two of Ludwig van Beethoven's most graceful and buoyant symphonies for this Sony release and play them with a lightness and freshness that many listeners will welcome. Bell makes his recording debut as a conductor with this 2013 CD, and his adoption of historically informed practices ensures that the music has clean textures and brisk tempos, qualities long associated with the Academy's tradition of playing Beethoven in the spirit of the Classical era. Once past the solemn Adagio introduction, the Symphony No. 4 in B flat major is effervescent and unrestrained in its cheerfulness, and Bell's light touch and the orchestra's deft execution make this one of the most charming interpretations available. This work is paired with the exuberant Symphony No. 7 in A major, which corresponds with its joyous dance rhythms and transparent orchestration, and balances the program with its similar formal proportions and length. Both performances offer closely considered interpretations, showing that Bell is particularly concerned with crisp articulation and subtly graded dynamics, and his attention to details brings out many inner parts that are sometimes lost in thicker sounding conventional readings. But these are far from myopic readings, because Bell has an innate feeling for phrasing and trajectory, so the larger expressions are fully communicated. Sony's reproduction is transparent and vibrant, and the music was captured with close-up clarity and warmth. ~ Blair Sanderson, Rovi
Classical Data
- 72:13
- Symphony
- Joshua Bell
- USA
- Joshua Bell, one of the top young violinists of our time, was born in 1967, in Bloomington, Indiana. Fortuitously, the small city in the limestone district of Indiana is the home of the Indiana University School of Music, which eventually assumed a decisive role in Bell's musical development. Bell was exposed to music from an early age and began his violin studies with Mimi Zweig. Bell's talents developed rapidly; he made his debut as a soloist in performance with the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra at the age of seven. The eminent violin teacher Josef Gingold, a member of Indiana University's music faculty, took an interest in him and became his teacher; eventually Bell entered the University as a student. Bell's studies with Gingold were supplemented by additional studies and master classes with Ivan Galamian and Henryk Szeryng. Bell came to wide national attention as a grand prize winner in the first annual Seventeen Magazine/General Motors National Concerto Competition in Rochester, NY. He soon appeared as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Riccardo Muti on September 24, 1982 -- the youngest person ever to appear with the orchestra as a soloist on a subscription concert. Bell's 1985 Carnegie Hall debut with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra was greeted with the kind of enthusiastic reviews that were a bellwether of his successful concert and recording career. By the mid-'90s, Bell had recorded much of the standard violin repertoire, exhibiting a musically informed and winning personal style. His playing is lyrical and bright, marked by a high-minded approach and a smooth, silvery tone. In the late '90s, Bell's eclectic tastes and multifaceted talents found voice in a wide range of projects outside the realm of the traditional violin repertoire. Bell's playing on John Corigliano's score to The Red Violin (1998) was singled out as one of the film's more memorable elements, while in 1999 he collaborated on a well-received CD of bluegrass-influenced music by composer Edgar Meyer. By the early 2000s, Bell was seen on numerous television programs and was even named one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People." He continued to work with musicians outside the classical realm, such as Chick Corea and James Taylor, meanwhile performing with the world's top orchestras and conductors. Other collaborations led to Bell's establishing chamber music recital series in both London and Paris. Artists such as Steven Isserlis, Pamela Frank, Jean-Yves Thibaudet are his partners in these recitals and in recordings. ~ All Music Guide, Rovi
- Joshua Bell and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields present two of Ludwig van Beethoven's most graceful and buoyant symphonies for this Sony release and play them with a lightness and freshness that many listeners will welcome. Bell makes his recording debut as a conductor with this 2013 CD, and his adoption of historically informed practices ensures that the music has clean textures and brisk tempos, qualities long associated with the Academy's tradition of playing Beethoven in the spirit of the Classical era. Once past the solemn Adagio introduction, the Symphony No. 4 in B flat major is effervescent and unrestrained in its cheerfulness, and Bell's light touch and the orchestra's deft execution make this one of the most charming interpretations available. This work is paired with the exuberant Symphony No. 7 in A major, which corresponds with its joyous dance rhythms and transparent orchestration, and balances the program with its similar formal proportions and length. Both performances offer closely considered interpretations, showing that Bell is particularly concerned with crisp articulation and subtly graded dynamics, and his attention to details brings out many inner parts that are sometimes lost in thicker sounding conventional readings. But these are far from myopic readings, because Bell has an innate feeling for phrasing and trajectory, so the larger expressions are fully communicated. Sony's reproduction is transparent and vibrant, and the music was captured with close-up clarity and warmth. ~ Blair Sanderson, Rovi
Details
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Joshua Bell |
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Joshua Bell Conducts Beethoven Symphonies Nos. 4 & 7 |
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Rock |
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Rock / Pop |
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12 February 2013 |
|
Unknown |
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~ Discs:1 |
|
Sbme/Masterworks ( MBWY ) |
|
Compact Disc |
|
5491762 |
|
887254917625 |
|
513940X |
Track Listing
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Track # |
Title |
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1 |
I Adagio - Allegro Vivace |
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|
2 |
II Adagio |
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3 |
III Allegro Molto E Vivace |
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4 |
IV Allegro Ma Non Troppo |
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5 |
I Poco Sostenuto - Vivace |
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6 |
II Allegretto |
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7 |
III Presto - Assai Meno Presto (Trio) |
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|
8 |
IV Allegro Con Brio |
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# |
Title |
| * We do our best to maintain an accurate database, but errors occur. Please use this list as a guideline. |
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