TRACKLISTING

CD 1
1-3 Saint-Saëns: Violin Concerto No.3 in B minor, op.61
4-8 Lalo: Symphonie espagnole in D minor, op.21

CD 2
1 Saint-Saëns: Introduction et Rondo capriccioso, op.28
2 Massenet: Méditation de Thaïs
3 Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen, op.29
4 Chausson: Poème, op.25
5 Ysaye: Caprice d'après l'étude en forme de valse de Saint-Saëns
6 Ravel: Tzigane

Joshua Bell violin
Orchestra symphonique de Montréal
Charles Dutoit
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (CD 2)
Andrew Litton (CD 2)

RECORDING INFORMATION

Joshua Bell started his recording career with DECCA in 1986 at the age of 19 and remained a DECCA artist for ten years. During that time he made over a dozen CDs of music ranging from Mozart Concertos to chamber works by Shostakovich and Ravel. He recorded with major conductors such as Ashkenazy, Dohnányi, Dutoit and Marriner, and with them recorded some of the cornerstones of the violin concerto repertory.

Lalo's lively and immediately appealing Symphonie Espagnole is coupled with the ever-popular Saint-Saëns Third Concerto in a disc with one of the great conductors of the French repertory, Charles Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony. Complementing this disc is an album of French virtuoso showpieces which features such favourites as the haunting Méditation de Thaïs and the colourful Tzigane by Ravel, pieces which display all facets of Joshua Bell's musicianship.

"On this new Decca release of virtuoso showpieces, his playing is volatile, stylish and eminently well conceived ... the Chausson Poème ... has seldom been so eloquently presented as here, with Andrew Litton's contribution also highly refined ... this disc is certaibly a thrilling addition to the Bell discography and will have a wide appeal."
Gramophone January 1992

This series of six 2-CD sets makes most of Joshua Bell’s recordings available again in attractive couplings and at two-for-one price!