Search - Lalo, Dutoit, Bell :: Saint-Saens: Violin Concerto No. 3; Lalo: Symphonie espagnole

Energetic accounts of the two concerti

Chicagotinnitus | chicago | 07/15/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bell's aggressive approach to the opening motif of the Saint-Saens B-minor may not be for all tastes, but it sets the tone for this exciting performance. Intonation is good throughout and there are fine moments of tender lyricism in the second mvmnt. His Lalo, though not quite the tonal equal of Mintz on DG, is vibrant and seductive in tone. Subtle slides and rubatos imbue the work with the appropriate Iberian coloring. The final movement brims with unworried virtuosity. Wonderfully done."

Bell goes Heifetz!!!

Chicagotinnitus | 07/07/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Don't get me wrong, this was, as always, a Josh Bell CD worth listening to. It's one of his older CD's, and the pieces are played on his 1726 Stradivarius, so his string tone sounds a little more innocent than it does today. But what struck me was his showman attitude, how he really made it clear that he was the soloist and the attention should be focused on HIM. I have never heard Heifetz play Symphonie Espagnole but if I did I'm sure it would have sounded very similar to Bell's, especially during the fifth movement of SE. I believe that this is the last concerto CD he made before he got his '32 Strad and refined his sense of musicality, so it should be of special interest to big Bell fans."