We had our daughter tutored in violin by Oregon Symphony violin teachers for 10 years- then she began to teach other neighborhood kids when she was only 14. I watched her practice for many years, and how this instrument is possibly the most demanding to learn to play. Joshua Bell is probably the most consummate master alive today without a doubt.
I just heard him play that piece again today in Boston and it was perhaps the best performance i have ever listened to. He is still pretty amazing in this video as well.
Guitar, piano, violin....hands down? a master at their art is a master at their art regardless of the instrument. No contest in creativity, for creativity can't be measured. It's all beautiful and shouldn't be put against each other.
i've met josh bell and he is really one of the most modest people you will ever meet. he is soo amazing at violin! his style, interpretation, intonation, are flawless in every piece he plays! he is without a doubt one of the most gifted violinists in the world! i'd say he was a musical genius.
what i find the most amazing about this performance is how well the conductor followed joshua bell so flawlessly with all those rubato and ad lib sections (especially the ones mr bell wrote in himself)
It doesn't make it sound better. It makes the performer able to add more emotion and phrasing by engulfing himself in the music. Trust me, I'm a musician.
God has blessed all of us with this beautiful music from this young man and the symphony....so awe struck...and mesmerized....what a privelage to hear!
Lets not minimize the years of training, sweat, tears, anguish, time, money and dedication that Max Bruch devoted to conceiving this wonderful masterpiece and the same lifetime study and perfection of his art that Joshua Bell has put into the making of this performance.
My husband and I were blessed with a Christmas gift -- tickets to Joshua Bell -- playing this very piece and it was beyond beautiful. I felt that the gift of music Joshua shares with all of us is not worthy of any criticism whatsoever.
Glorious music beautifully played. Bruch also composed a lovely Ave Maria with which has the same tenderness and yet at the same time real drama. Joan Hammond sings it on You Tube - worth a listen. Bravo Joshua
im playing this as my Concerto for collage Auditions. i cant wait. i love this piece and it just speaks to my heart. This piece is the whispering in my soul
Tonight, August 11, 2015, I will hear him play this concerto at the Hollywood Bowl. Needless to say, I'm truly looking forward to this evening's concert. We are lucky to have him perform here in Los Angeles every season.
😂😂when he came to phoenix to perform, i had FREE TICKETS because i performed in a youth group and it offered tickets for the best players (i play violin btw)
+Allen Pan Allen, I am so happy to hear that you had the good fortune to hear Joshua play. He is so inspirational to us all, especially to young people such as yourself. I will keep your name in my heart and mind and hope that some day I'll hear you play your violin in a concert with our Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl or at our wonderful Disney Concert Hall. You are "a best player".... I expect to hear great things about you in the near future. Keep the faith and always practice to keep your "gift" alive. A fan, Thelma Schoen
To all those who comment on Joshua Bell's movements and facial expressions. You may want to know that the selection of musicians by major orchestras are done behind curtains so the judges are not distracted by any movement or facial expression, neither biased by race or gender. So just listen and try to miss a good chance to make an useless comment.
Independent Mind i actually saw him yesterday for a field trip to see him rehearse before the performance! it was awesome!!! i only focused on hearing the music and the orchestra play. the only funny thing was the conductor going crazy with his baton 😂 💀
This dude rocks on the violin...perfect intonation, great phrasing and interpretation, and great tempo! And his body language reflects how much passion he truly has for playing the violin. I have the sheet music for this concerto, but I'm having a lot of trouble with the fingerings.
J. Albert Fracht's book on "Scientific Gymnastics for the Violinist" has finally been taken literally! While watching Joshy play this concerto, I found myself anticipating the end of the first movement so I could see if the cadenza might involve some somersaults & cartwheels.
came here via the one he did as an experiment. never heard him before (that i know of), but he is amazing! love to listen to this kind of music, makes something inside me feel lighter than air.
I agree Kevin. He was the longstanding world master for many years. I did hear a recording with him once recently, and itzhak must have been struggling on a bad day. I know his physical condition and now aging must be taking a tole on him. He is also one of the most brilliant speakers about music. I saw him interviewed by Charlie Rose a few years ago. That interview is worth everyone seeing and listening to Pearlman talk. He speaks deeply abut the process of excelling in this instrument.
I think like how people have different character traits and personalities, so does music. And when music and musician can meet and match, it's the stuff of beauty. It's hard being a concert violinist because there are some pieces in the repertoire that's expected, but I'm sure not every violinist is in love with every piece that comes their way, nor does one violinist's style necessarily suit the music (though it can make for an intriguing interpretation).
Joshua Bell is more than a fine violinist. He has an amazing 'voice' that is singular in his approach to music. He has matured greatly. I saw him when I was in music school and he is just a much better musician and interpreter of fine music.
@mikey1970able Agreed! If you can't stand the moving around close your eyes and listen to the music. This guy is amazing and has studied with the best teachers around the world!
@unclejuniorsoprano SO TRUE ! Part of that is that he's a younger violinist, and because I'm a teenager so that's basically what i call everyone. He's amazing - some people might NOT like his interpretation of this piece, but that's part of what being a musician is.
PT. 3 Every great violinist strives for uniqueness but never at the expense of the composer. Vanity has no place in the concert hall. What legacy will Joshua Bell leave the world with? When he retires from the stage, what bits of wisdom will he be able to leave his peers? Bell seems to do everything to detract from his playing. Instead of recreating music with the composer in mind, he does his utmost in putting on a show for sake of himself. It's "anything goes" with this guy.
holy JIZZ!!!!!!!! I had my volume barely turned up then this loudthing shook the house and dropped my pencil holder and smashed my knee on the desk!!!!!1
@Chibininjamonkeys I agree, I have become very use to how he moves, just so into his music. Love This Wonderful Man's violin playing. Virtuoso ...............How many could playing this piece like he does??? any of you???? I heard him play this piece in Milwaukee, March 2011.........beautiful ............too bad this video has that terrible crackling at a few spots but this is lovely music to listen to...God Bless you, Joshua Bell
