Vanessa-Mae - The Violin Player (1995) [2004 SACD]

Vanessa-Mae was just a teenager when her major-label debut, The Violin Player, was released. This may account for her ability to successfully fuse old-world classical styles with a contemporary new age sensibility. She comes out scorching on the Bach classic “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor,” showing off her world-class talent as a revolutionary violinist. The new arrangements by producer Mike Batt add a flavorful world music appeal that both compliments and showcases her masterful skill. While all ten tracks are performed as instrumentals, Vanessa-Mae manages to squeeze every ounce of passion out of a note, transcending the necessity for lyrics. Her ability to play off of other instruments is brought to the forefront on the final track “Red Hot.” She goes toe to toe with a forceful electric guitar and her four-string violin leaves the challenging six-string in the dust. This record will delight those who are bold enough to challenge themselves by listening to a collection of songs that defy standard genre classifications.

Tracks:

1. Toccata And Fugue In D Minor [07:51]
2. Contradanza [03:52]
3. Classical Gas [03:24]
4. Theme From ‘caravans’ [05:08]
5. Warm Air [03:41]
6. Jazz Will Eat Itself [03:32]
7. Wildescreen [04:00]
8. Tequila Mockingbird [03:29]
9. City Theme [04:34]
10. Red Hot [03:18]