How expressive, stylistically plausible and emotionally lively is his playing of this Sonata! The tempo of the 2d movement is just right, not excessively slow like in the Barenboim‘s recording! Just for the last movement I prefer the recording of Shiff‘s compatriot pianist Annie Fisher.
The whole first movement is meant to be an asymmetrically lilting folk dance from Moravia, Martinu's birthplace. Unfortunately, conductor and orchestra make gooey spaghetti-cheese out of the introduction, without any lilting phrasing. The solo viola is meant to represent a kind of "Harold in Moravia", (as the solo viola in Berlioz: “Harold in Italy”) a poetic soul singing and dancing for the folks in the landscape that surrounds them. Antoine Tamestit is one of the best viola soloists around. His mastery of his instrument is remarkable. He paints with a variety of tone colors but his tone projection often lacks core and grounding. This is also apparent in the lively rhythmic sections when he breathlessly and aggressively drives ahead to reach a target point, instead of fulfilling the journey to the goal with bouncy rhythms and fun. There is more depth and fine detail in Martinu’s Rhapsody-Concerto than what was presented in this performance.
I think the mark of a "great" composer is comfort and ease. Mendelssohn, from the very first chord, is just so patient with his thematic material. He lets the ideas breathe. He lets the piece come to him. And the result feels like coming home every time I listen.
I met Josh when he was 19 years old. What’s amazing to me about him now is everything always sounds fresh. He never gives less than 100% every time. He’s a remarkable committed artist.
attualmente, la più' bella interpretazione, per fraseggio e bellezza di suono, andando a ritroso nel tempo paragonabile a quella del quartetto la salle .
Hauntingly ghost-ful. The cello with the above A-440 Harmonics, followed by the violin on its lower strings, the the piano entrance in its lowest octave…
Menahem is still playing! I miss Izzy’s beautiful violin tender sweetness, but that was Izzy! Only one ! The cellist is terrific with a million color, what a cello and player! This newest Beaux Arts ensemble is worthy of the famous brand created by Bernie Greenhouse, Isadore Cohen, and of course, the immortal Mr. Pressler!
He will be 99 in less than two months, on 12/16, also Beethoven's birthday, as he never fails to remind us :-) He is a great artist, teacher and human being.
bella anche , da riferimento, quella del quartetto la salle(deutche grammophon).........certo che questa del quartetto ebene e' la più' fascinosa di tutte!!!!!!!!!!!!
Beyond anything I have heard before. This piece took my soul places I have never been. My first time listening to the entire symphony in one sitting. My imagination ran wild. Thank you Mark, my love for sharing. I know now why this is your very favorite symphony. Wish to be next to you while enjoying.
Das ist wohl die ausdruckvollste und beste Interpretation....in ihr hört man die Seelenqualen und zuletzt das Verlöschen....Nicht umsonst nannte es T sein eigenes Requiem.....
Love Joshus Bell but, especially in this piece, prefer Vilde Frang. Ever since hearing her in concert I can't get over the sensitivity and beauty of her recordings.
interesting. as music, it sounds better with 8 strings, 8 fingers, 2 bows, but the reason Ernst created *his* transcription was not primarily for beautiful music; it was to create a fiendishly difficult virtuoso violin piece, which this is not.
They should not call this group by the original name. They should call this ‘Pressler and friends’. There was absolutely no match to the original three.
