Album

Some would suspect this disc to be an abomination in the eyes of God and man; it is actually a pleasant little disc of what used to be called encores. You remember encores: the technically virtuosic but musically lightweight works that a performer would play after the real recital was over. Now those days are gone. Nowadays what used to be encores—the chocolate mousse and Napoleon brandy after a full musical meal—are the meat and potatoes of the music industry.

This disc is an entire dessert tray full of sweet confections. Some of them are extremely light, past the point of frivolity to inanity: John Williams' Devil's Dance (from The Witches of Eastwick) and John Morris' A Transylvanian Lullaby (from Young Frankenstein). Some are musically more substantial but still pretty silly: Sarasate's Concert Fantasy on Gound's Faust, Korngold's Caprice Fantastique, and especially the piano-and-violin transcription of Saint-Saëns Danse Macabre. Some are charming: Brahms' Walpurgisnacht, Mendelssohn's Hexenlied, and especially William Bolcom's gorgeous Graceful Ghost Rag. Some are flat-out stunning: Tartini's "Devil's Trill" Sonata.

All are played with technical mastery, a great sense of fun, and no sense of slumming by virtuoso violinist Gil Shaham. Some aspects of the disc are goofy: the photograph on the back cover with Shaham and his accompanist holding flashlights under their faces reminds one of Cub Scout camp, and the liner notes are the purest pandering. But, despite all this, the disc is a lot of fun. Recommended for those who like their daredevil violin virtuosity on the light side.

© James Leonard, All Music Guide

CD 1
John Williams Composer Devil's Dance, for violin and piano (from Witches of Eastwick) Work Jonathan Feldman Piano, Gil Shaham Violin
1	Devil's Dance, for violin and piano (from Witches of Eastwick)	4:11			$0.99
John Morris Composer A Transylvanian Rhapsody from Young Frankenstein, for violin & piano (arr. by Feldman) Work Jonathan Feldman Piano, Gil Shaham Violin
2	A Transylvanian Lullaby	3:58			$0.99
Edvard Grieg Composer 7 Lyric Pieces (x), Op.71...7 Lyric Pieces (x), Op.71 (arr. violin and piano) Work Jonathan Feldman Piano, Gil Shaham Violin
3	3.Puck	1:46			$0.49
Camille Saint-Saëns Composer Danse macabre, tone poem, Op.40 Work Jonathan Feldman Piano, Gil Shaham Violin
4	Danse macabre, tone poem, Op.40 (arr. violin and piano)	6:41			$0.99
Erich Wolfgang Korngold Composer Märchenbilder (Fairytale Pictures), 7 pieces, Op.3 Work Jonathan Feldman Piano, Gil Shaham Violin
5	4.The Goblins	3:54			$0.99
Johannes Brahms Composer 4 Balladen und Romanzen, for vocal duet, Op.75...4 Balladen und Romanzen, for vocal duet, Op.75 (arr. violin and piano) Work Jonathan Feldman Piano, Gil Shaham Violin
6	4.Walpurgisnacht	1:49			$0.49
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Composer 12 Songs, Op.8 (Nos.2, 3, 12 by Fanny Mendelssohn)...8.Andres Maienlied ('Die Schwalbe fliegt') Work Jonathan Feldman Piano, Gil Shaham Violin
7	8.Andres Maienlied (arr. violin and piano)	2:18			$0.99
Antonio Bazzini Composer La Ronde des Lutins, scherzo fantastique for violin and piano, Op.25 Work Jonathan Feldman Piano, Gil Shaham Violin
8	La Ronde des Lutins, scherzo fantastique for violin and piano, Op.25	5:16			$0.99
William Bolcom Composer 3 Ghost Rags...1.Graceful Ghost Rag Work Jonathan Feldman Piano, Gil Shaham Violin
9	Graceful Ghost, a concert variation for violin and piano	8:31			$1.49
Pablo de Sarasate Composer Concert Fantasy on themes from Gounod's Faust Work Jonathan Feldman Piano, Gil Shaham Violin
10	Concert Fantasy on themes from Gounod's Faust	11:23			$1.99
Niccolò Paganini Composer 24 Caprices for Solo Violin, Op.1, MS25...24 Caprices, Op.1 (arr. violin and piano) Work Jonathan Feldman Piano, Gil Shaham Violin
11	13.Allegro in Bb ('The Devil's Chuckle')	2:43			$0.99
Giuseppe Tartini Composer Violin Sonata in G-, B.g5 ('The Devil's Trill') Work Jonathan Feldman Piano, Gil Shaham Violin
12	Violin Sonata in G-, B.g5 ('The Devil's Trill')	14:16			$2.49
Eugene Ysaÿe Composer 6 Sonatas for Violin Solo, Op.27...No.2 in A- Work Jonathan Feldman Piano, Gil Shaham Violin
13	1.Prelude ('Obsession')	2:17			$0.99