VA - Violin Greatest Hits (2004)

The challenge in listening to this CD is finding a favorite selection in this excellent compilation. Antonio Bazzini's Scherzo fantastique, Op. 25, the fourth selection on this CD, is an electrifying performance. The Bazzini selection is played flawlessly and is filled with dynamic energy, playfulness, joy, and virtuoso pyrotechnics. There is a wide range of selections on this CD, spanning three centuries from the violin repertoire, from Bach's Violin Partitas to Anton Karas' "The Harry Lime Theme." The latter is not only beautiful but a lot of fun to listen to, with a melody, rhythm, and style of performance that reminded me more of the jazz violinist Stephane Grapelli than of classical violinists.

Two composers, Bach and Kreisler, are represented by two different selections, with a different violinist playing each one. Kreisler's Liebesleid is performed by Kyung Wha Chung, while on the very next track, Joshua Bell performs Kreisler's Liebesfreud. In the case of Bach, one selection from his Partitas for solo violin is performed magnificently and with great intensity and passion by Nathan Milstein. The other selection is performed by Gidon Kremer, who has a very different style. Even the most ardent admirers of Kremer recognize that his style and interpretations are not necessarily for everybody. In my own case, I prefer to listen to Nathan Milstein, Henryk Szeryng, Arthur Grumiaux, Iona Brown, Isaac Stern, Pinchas Zuckerman, Itzak Perlman, and, amongst the younger violinists, Maxim Vengerov and Joshua Bell.

But my tastes are probably more traditional and there's nothing wrong with giving people the opportunity to hear the individual performance style of Gidon Kremer, an internationally renowned violinist, especially on a CD that is meant to demonstrate the diversity of music and of performance styles that can be played on the violin. In fact, there is no denying Gidon Kremer's excellence in his performance of the Gavotte and Rondo from Bach's Partita No. 3.

The selection from Massenet, the Meditation from Thais, performed by Joshua Bell, it is a piece of sublime musical heaven, as is Arthur Grumiaux's performance of the Spanish Dance No.5 by Granados. As for Henryk Szeryng's performance of Rimsky-Korsakov's The Flight of the Bumble-Bee, it is one of the finest examples I have ever heard on the violin of brilliant virtuoso pyrotechnics. Every selection on this CD is excellent.

From the first selecion, with Shlomo Mintz performing Lalo's Rondo (Allegro) from the Symphonie espagnole, to the very last selection, of Roby Lakatos and His Ensemble playing Vittorio Monti's Czardas, I greatly enjoyed this entire CD. The sound quality on every selection is crystal clear. Very highly recommended.