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Voice of the Violin | 
 enlarge | Artist: Joshua Bell
Label: Sony
Category: Music
List Price: $18.97
Buy New: $9.38
You Save: $9.59 (51%)
New (34) Used (12) from $5.96
Avg. Customer Rating:  35 reviews
Sales Rank: 3637
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 97779
UPC: 827969777923
EAN: 0827969777923
ASIN: B000H7JD1I
Release Date: September 5, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 14 | | • | Ave Maria | | • | Pourquoi me reveiller from Werther | | • | Apres un reve, Op. 7, No. 1 | | • | Song to the Moon from Rusalka | | • | Laudate Dominum from Vesperae solennes de confessore for soloists, chorus & orchestra, K. 339 | | • | None but the Lonely Heart, Op. 6/6 | | • | Una furtiva lagrima from L'Elisir d'Amore | | • | In trutina from Carmina Burana | | • | May Breezes from Songs without Words, Op. 62, No. 1 | | • | Beau soir | | • | Estrellita | | • | Nana (Bercuese) from Siete conciones populares Espanolas | | • | Je crois entendre encore from The Pearl Fishers | | • | Morgen! Op. 27, No. 4 |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Constantly exhorted to "sing," string players naturally try to emulate that most beautiful musical instrument, the human voice; no wonder they literally want to get their fingers on the treasures of the vocal repertoire. Joshua Bell has appropriated some of its best-loved songs and operatic arias, from Mozart through the romantics to Orff. Slow, sustained, lovely and yes, singing, these beguiling melodies and wide emotional range are eminently well suited to the violin. Credit for most of the arrangements is given to J.A.C. Redford, a well-known film and television composer, and indeed the throbbing strings and jarring modulations typical of sound-tracks invade his orchestrations, in startling contrast to the composers' own. In Debussy's "Beau soir," pianist Frederic Chiu partners Bell so beautifully that one wishes he had supplanted the orchestra in all the songs with piano accompaniment. The violin transcriptions of the vocal line closely follow the originals, except for Redford's compulsive habit of adding octaves in the repeats and jumping from the lowest to the highest register. Of course, Bell is very good at all this, and it's the playing that's really the thing. His tone is ravishingly beautiful, warm on the G-string, radiant up high, and always deeply expressive. His love and innate feeling for the music---its inward simplicity, romantic yearning and passionate ardor---speak straight to the heart. In the only authentic violin part, the obbligato of Richard Strauss' "Morgen!" he is joined by the golden-voiced soprano Anna Netrebko; at first overly intense, she relaxes into a blissful, magical ending. --Edith Eisler
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| Customer Reviews: Read 30 more reviews...
 Life with Joshua December 27, 2008
Joshua Bell's recording of Voice of the Violin is one of the best purchases I've made recently. I've kept it playing in the background during the Christmas flurry and find it soothes and inspires my soul. I'd recommend it for anyone, even those who don't think they like classical music or the violin.
 Sweet melancholy December 26, 2008
This album is filled with beautiful music, but if you're looking for the firey, glitzy Joshua Bell you might want to look elsewhere. The music is slow, quiet, and melancholy. If you're a person who "curls up inside" good music, you'll love this album.
The Captivating Voice of Joshua Bell's 1713 Stradivarius Violin September 16, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
"Choosing the works for this album was a delightful journey, a wonderful excuse to immerse myself in the rich treasury of music written for the voice....I hope many listeners will appreciate this tribute to the voice and get a kick out of hearing my take on these timeless classics." ~ Joshua Bell ~
At the Opening Night for Concert Season at Hollywood Bowl a few years back, Joshua Bell was one of the featured guests where he performed a piece from the soundtrack of Ladies in Lavender where he is the featured violinist, and another performance where he shared the spotlight with Josh Groban. I was in awe and it was great seeing them perform before a live audience. My first exposure to Mr. Bell's artistry is his Grammy-nominated tribute album in honor of the timeless music of George Gershwin, Gershwin Fantasy. Listening to his recorded performances is such a delight, but seeing him perform live made me appreciate his flawless violin artistry even more.
Joshua Bell's mastery in violin, Maestro Michael Stern's outstanding orchestration of 52-piece Orchestra of St. Luke's plus the music of classical masters such as Debussy, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Schubert, Rachmaninoff, Massenet, Mendelssohn, Faure, Bizet, Dvorak, Strauss, as well as De Falla, Ponce, Orff and Donizetti are all packaged beautifully in this remarkable album, "Voice of the Violin."
The Grammy-Award winning violinist's virtuosic takes on these timeless classical pieces are elegantly unflawed and breathtaking. He plays with utmost care and passion as heard in all the tracks, but my top choices include Schubert's "Ave Maria," Debussy's "Beau Soir," Faure's "Apres Un Reve," Tchaikovsky's "None But The Lonely Heart," Dvorak's "Song To The Moon," Mozart's "Laudete Dominum" and Ponce's "Estrellita." The notable finale is a classical aria originally composed by Richard Strauss for voice and piano, "Morgen!" but with voice and violin, it is simply remarkable. It features soprano Anna Netrebko.
The informative Liner Notes written by Mr. Bell show his love of poetry and his romantic side. On track listings, he referenced some lines of poetry and quotations related to the composers' feelings and sentiments behind their masterpieces.
An example is Tchaikovsky's "None But The Lonely Heart." He alluded to Tchaikovsky's emotional and personal life and quoted the composer when he said..."No one who has not been lonely can understand my endless suffering."
Another example is his description on "Beau Soir" in which he transcribed a few lines from a poem by Paul Bourget, a French critic and man of letters who "provoked the humorous wrath of Mark Twain with a series of lectures in the USA in 1893." Here goes...
"When the waters are pink in the setting sun
And a warm wave sweeps through the fields of grain
All things bid our troubled hearts to be happy."
One more example is Dvorak's "Song To The Moon" - On his notes, the melody was taken from the composer's opera, "Rusalka," a tale of "an immortal nymph who fell in love with a handsome prince and calls upon the moon to help her dream come true."
"You peek into all the world's windows
Find the one I love and tell him
My heart is his
Perhaps he will remember me."
Lastly, I can say that long after you've listened to this album, the captivating voice of Joshua Bell's 1713 Stradivarius violin will still be ringing in your ears so you must give it another listen. It is the kind of music that reaches the heart and caresses the soul of a listener with its soothing and endless beauty.
With my heartfelt recommendation.
Enjoying the violin February 23, 2008
After I bought the Ladies in Lavender I had to buy Johuas Bell music.
I heard him play the Brahms violinconcert april 2003 and became a fan.
One period in my life I almost hated violin music maybe because I was
playing the piano with my brother violin. Later I heard the Busch quartet
play , and later I heard Isac Stern and Menuhin play in concerts.
The music Johua plays in wonderful and he plays beutifully.
A splendid piece of work... January 8, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
I am a classical singer, my mother plays the violin, so I know how closely they are related. Joshua Bell has chosen some beautifu selections. Some of my favorite pieces on this compilation are pieces I have actually sung. One of the most beautiful is Dvorak's Song To the Moon, the way he plays it is so warm and elegant, it is one of the most beautiful pieces ever written and with him playing it, it sounds even better. Estrellita is another song that I have sung, and I absolutely love , the same with Mozart's Laudate Dominum.His violin gives the music such a soul that it almost is better the hearing someone sing it. The only regret I have about this CD is it does not have him playing O mio Babbino caro, guess I will have to buy his other CD for that.
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