Joshual Bell and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
Joshual Bell and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
April 8, 2013.Joshual Bell and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields.Joshua Bell is one of the most successful American violin virtuosos, known forhis beauty of tone and exceptional technique.Joshua studied with Josef Gingold at the University of Indiana and later took classes with Ivan Galamian and Henryk Szeryng.When he was 14 he appeared as a soloist in a Mozart concerto with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Riccardo Muti.Three years later he played at Carnegie Hall with the St. Louis Symphony.He went on to perform at all the major concert halls, in solo recitals and with orchestras.Among his recordings are violin concertos by Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and Sibelius.During his career he played and recorded with Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Steven Isserlis and other musicians; he also partnered with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.In 2007 in recognition of his achievements he was awarded the Avery Fisher Prize.
The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields is a famed chamber orchestra, which was founded by Sir Neville Marriner in 1959.Sir Neville led the orchestra till 1974, when the late Iona Brown took over (he stayed as the Chairman till 1992).Murray Perahia was the principal guest conductor for a number of years, but since Neville Marriner the orchestra didn’t have a formal music director.This changed in September 2011, when Joshua Bell was appointed music director of the Academy.A CD containing two of Beethoven’s symphonies, numbers Four and Seven, is their first collaborative recording.
Sandwiched between the two giants, Eroica, no. 3 and Symphony no. 5, a somewhat less ambitious no. 4, op. 60 was composed in 1806, the same year Beethoven completed the violin concerto and piano concerto no. 4.The symphony opens with a slow, pensive introduction, which eventually burst into a full-blooded Allegro vivace.The stately second movement, Adagio, allows the Academy strings to shine.The elegant third movement, also in the tempo of Allegro vivace, is shaped as a scherzo, and the fourth, Allegro ma non troppo, is, as the marking suggests, fast but not too much so, and is played as such.Symphony no. 7 op. 92, completed six years later, also belongs to Beethoven’s “middle period.”His hearing was deteriorating rapidly, but in 1812 he apparently still could follow a conversation and hear music.Like the Fourth, symphony no. 7 consists of four movements.The first movement, Poco sostenuto – vivace starts with a slow introduction, similar to the beginning of the Fourth, and then proceeds, rather solemnly, until it evolves into a more nimble Vivace.Some of the tonal repetitions of this movement (as well as those in other parts of the symphony) sound almost maniacal, and prompted Carl Maria von Weber to call it "fit for a madhouse."Nonetheless, it miraculously propels forward following its internal dynamics.The second movement, the somber Allegretto, remains one of Beethoven’s most popular pieces.You can listen to it here.The contrasting third movement, Presto – Assai meno presto, is full of verve, and so is the symphony’s dance-like fast-paced finale, Allegro con brio.It was not written elegantly, and the Academy interprets it that way, earthily and energetically.
For this recording, the Academy added several musicians for a total of about 40, still a relatively small ensemble compared to the modern symphony orchestra.The sound is supple and well balanced, tempos sensible, without any excesses, and the phrasing compelling.The recording sounds fresh and, we believe, portends a happy partnership between the orchestra and its new music director.We look forward to their new releases.
Joshual Bell and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
April 8, 2013. Joshual Bell and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. Joshua Bell is one of the most successful American violin virtuosos, known forhis beauty of tone and exceptional technique.
Joshua studied with Josef Gingold at the University of Indiana and later took classes with Ivan Galamian and Henryk Szeryng. When he was 14 he appeared as a soloist in a Mozart concerto with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Riccardo Muti. Three years later he played at Carnegie Hall with the St. Louis Symphony. He went on to perform at all the major concert halls, in solo recitals and with orchestras. Among his recordings are violin concertos by Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and Sibelius. During his career he played and recorded with Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Steven Isserlis and other musicians; he also partnered with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. In 2007 in recognition of his achievements he was awarded the Avery Fisher Prize.
The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields is a famed chamber orchestra, which was founded by Sir Neville Marriner in 1959. Sir Neville led the orchestra till 1974, when the late Iona Brown took over (he stayed as the Chairman till 1992). Murray Perahia was the principal guest conductor for a number of years, but since Neville Marriner the orchestra didn’t have a formal music director. This changed in September 2011, when Joshua Bell was appointed music director of the Academy. A CD containing two of Beethoven’s symphonies, numbers Four and Seven, is their first collaborative recording.
Sandwiched between the two giants, Eroica, no. 3 and Symphony no. 5, a somewhat less ambitious no. 4, op. 60 was composed in 1806, the same year Beethoven completed the violin concerto and piano concerto no. 4. The symphony opens with a slow, pensive introduction, which eventually burst into a full-blooded Allegro vivace. The stately second movement, Adagio, allows the Academy strings to shine. The elegant third movement, also in the tempo of Allegro vivace, is shaped as a scherzo, and the fourth, Allegro ma non troppo, is, as the marking suggests, fast but not too much so, and is played as such. Symphony no. 7 op. 92, completed six years later, also belongs to Beethoven’s “middle period.” His hearing was deteriorating rapidly, but in 1812 he apparently still could follow a conversation and hear music. Like the Fourth, symphony no. 7 consists of four movements. The first movement, Poco sostenuto – vivace starts with a slow introduction, similar to the beginning of the Fourth, and then proceeds, rather solemnly, until it evolves into a more nimble Vivace. Some of the tonal repetitions of this movement (as well as those in other parts of the symphony) sound almost maniacal, and prompted Carl Maria von Weber to call it "fit for a madhouse." Nonetheless, it miraculously propels forward following its internal dynamics. The second movement, the somber Allegretto, remains one of Beethoven’s most popular pieces. You can listen to it here. The contrasting third movement, Presto – Assai meno presto, is full of verve, and so is the symphony’s dance-like fast-paced finale, Allegro con brio. It was not written elegantly, and the Academy interprets it that way, earthily and energetically.
For this recording, the Academy added several musicians for a total of about 40, still a relatively small ensemble compared to the modern symphony orchestra. The sound is supple and well balanced, tempos sensible, without any excesses, and the phrasing compelling. The recording sounds fresh and, we believe, portends a happy partnership between the orchestra and its new music director. We look forward to their new releases.