Album

On this three-disc Best of Joshua Bell collection, the Decca label basically delivers what it promises, and is even generous about it. True, nothing actually tells you that the "Decca years" were from the first part of Bell's career, but the various boyish photos of Bell should get the point across. Bell started out like most young violinists, recording standard concerto repertory with a pure tone that did not foreclose strong forward momentum. Of his various forbears among violinists of the twentieth century, Henryk Szeryng is perhaps underestimated for his importance. The third disc in the set shows Bell developing the style that has made him famous, applying his high-flying playing to Fritz Kreisler and the other composers of violin encore pieces that were forgotten during the era of high modernism. It's been a potent combination, and one that was by no means obvious when Bell was young. In fact, the third CD, "Favorites," may appeal even to owners of Bell's later discs covering the same territory; there's a snap in, say, his reading of Kreisler's Caprice viennois (CD 3, track 8), that comes from the consciousness he was rediscovering all this delightful stuff that was consigned to the dustbin by tight-lipped modernism. Check out also the thoroughly corny and thoroughly enjoyable Waves at Play (Wellenspiel) of Edwin Grasse (CD 3, track 10). In between the standards and the favorites comes a disc of chamber performances that, if they don't exactly qualify as rarities, may at least be missing from many Bell collections. The set as a whole collects recordings that made Bell's reputation, and fans and collectors will welcome the chance to have a wide variety of them in one place.

© James Manheim, All Music Guide

CD 1 of 3
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Composer Violin Concerto No.5 in A, K.219 ('Turkish') Work Recorded 1991 31:43 English Chamber Orchestra Orchestra, Joshua Bell Violin, Peter Maag Conductor
1	1.Allegro aperto	10:23			$1.99
2	2.Adagio	11:25			$1.99
3	3.Rondo: Tempo di minuetto	9:55			$1.49
Johannes Brahms Composer Violin Concerto in D, Op.77 Work Recorded 1994 40:11 Cleveland Orchestra Orchestra, Joshua Bell Violin, Christoph von Dohnányi Conductor
4	1.Allegro ma non troppo	22:50			$3.99
5	2.Adagio	9:14			$1.49
6	3.Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo vivace	8:07			$1.49
CD 2 of 3
Gabriel Fauré Composer Violin Sonata No.1 in A, Op.13 Work 23:52 Joshua Bell Violin, Jean-Yves Thibaudet Piano
1	1.Allegro molto	7:30			$1.49
2	2.Andante	7:09			$1.49
3	3.Scherzo: Allegro vivo	3:51			$0.99
4	4.Allegro quasi presto	5:22			$0.99
Sergey Prokofiev Composer Violin Sonata No.2 in D, Op.94bis Work Recorded 1993 24:17 Olli Mustonen Piano, Joshua Bell Violin
5	1.Moderato	8:06			$1.49
6	2.Scherzo: Presto	5:05			$0.99
7	3.Andante	3:29			$0.99
8	4.Allegro con brio	7:37			$1.49
Dmitri Shostakovich Composer Piano Trio No.2 in E-, Op.67 Work Recorded 1994 24:49 Olli Mustonen Piano, Joshua Bell Violin, Steven Isserlis Cello
9	1.Andante. Moderato. Poco più mosso	6:33			$0.99
10	2.Allegro con brio	2:56			$0.99
11	3.Largo	5:02			$0.99
12	4.Allegretto	10:18			$1.99
CD 3 of 3
Camille Saint-Saëns Composer Introduction et Rondo capriccioso, for violin and orchestra, Op.28 Work Recorded 1991 Andrew Litton Conductor, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra, Joshua Bell Violin
1	Introduction et Rondo capriccioso, for violin and orchestra, Op.28	9:47			$1.49
Jules Massenet Composer Thaïs (opera)...Act 2 Work Recorded 1991 Andrew Litton Conductor, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra, Joshua Bell Violin
2	7.Méditation	5:14			$0.99
Henryk Wieniawski Composer Variations on an Original Theme, for violin and piano, Op.15 Work Recorded 1986 Samuel Sanders Piano, Joshua Bell Violin
3	Variations on an Original Theme, for violin and piano, Op.15	12:29			$1.99
Jean Sibelius Composer 4 Pieces for Violin and Piano, Op.78 Work Recorded 1986 Samuel Sanders Piano, Joshua Bell Violin
4	2.Romance	3:03			$0.99
Ottokar Eugen Novacek Composer Perpetuum Mobile, conzert caprice for violin and orchestra, Op.5, No.4 Work Recorded 1986 Samuel Sanders Piano, Joshua Bell Violin
5	Perpetuum Mobile, conzert caprice for violin and orchestra, Op.5, No.4	2:45			$0.99
Fritz Kreisler Composer Sicilienne and Rigaudon (in the style of Francoeur) Work Recorded 1995 Joshua Bell Violin, Paul Coker Piano
6	Sicilienne and Rigaudon (in the style of Francoeur)	3:56			$0.99
Fritz Kreisler Composer Syncopation Work Recorded 1995 Joshua Bell Violin, Paul Coker Piano
7	Syncopation	1:48			$0.49
Fritz Kreisler Composer Caprice viennois, Op.2 Work Recorded 1995 Joshua Bell Violin, Paul Coker Piano
8	Caprice viennois, Op.2	4:35			$0.99
Johannes Brahms Composer Hungarian Dances, WoO1, Bk.1-2 (piano version)...Book 1 Work Recorded 1986 Samuel Sanders Piano, Joshua Bell Violin
9	No.1 in G-	3:20			$0.99
Edwin Grasse Composer Waves at Play (Wellenspiel), for violin and piano Work Recorded 1986 Samuel Sanders Piano, Joshua Bell Violin
10	Waves at Play (Wellenspiel), for violin and piano	1:44			$0.49
Henryk Wieniawski Composer Scherzo-tarantelle in G-, for violin and piano, Op.16 Work Recorded 1986 Samuel Sanders Piano, Joshua Bell Violin
11	Scherzo-tarantelle in G-, for violin and piano, Op.16	4:46			$0.99
Pablo de Sarasate Composer Zigeunerweisen ('Gypsy Airs'), Op.20 Work Recorded 1991 Andrew Litton Conductor, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra, Joshua Bell Violin
12	Zigeunerweisen ('Gypsy Airs'), Op.20	9:06			$1.49