Nobel Prize Concert: Joshua Bell [Blu-ray]

outstanding performances, great sound
The Tchaikovsky is obviously a showpiece for a great fiddler, and that's what Bell is. He really plays the hell out of this piece,just nudging my erstwhile favorite, Viktor Tretyakov, into second place (This latter is part of the Fedoseyev/Moscow Tchaikovsky cycle).

The Strad that Bell uses had belonged to Huberman, one of the major violinists of the early twentieth century. I have this piece played by Huberman on a Naxos historical CD, and he reflected the style of that period, which was to use lots of portamento (string slides instead of discreet notes). I am happy to report that Bell does this also, which really adds to the flavor of the concerto. The cadenza is brilliantly done, and the slow movement is nice and "schmaltzy", as it should be.

The Swedish orchestra easily keeps up with Bell, aided by great direction from Sakari Oramo, a conductor with whom I'm not familiar, but can't wait to hear more of. Oramo works wonders with the other two works on this...

Nobel Prize Concert 2010
Being an ardent devotee of neglected Romantic-era composers and their long-forgotten works, I approached this DVD somewhat reluctantly, if only because its contents, Beethoven's "Leonora" Overture No. 3, Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, and Sibelius's Fifth Symphony, are so popular, and are heard so often in concerts, that I would rather not hear them so often.
I have to admit that I was completely bowled over! The Finnish conductor Sakari Oramo elicits wonderful performances from the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, and violinist Joshua Bell gives an excellent performance of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. The live performance, in Stockholm's Konserthus (concert hall), is a joy to watch, and Joshua Bell was given a (mostly) standing ovation for his performance of the Tchaikovsky. The sound quality is excellent. The program notes (in English, French, and German) give very little information on the three works, but instead focus on the struggles and triumphs of the three...

Superb in every respect
For many listeners, Joshua Bell may be the main attraction on this disk. And he is very, very good indeed. As Clive Goodwin expertly states, this is a highly charged "romantic" reading of the Tchaikovsky concerto, portamenti galore, high gloss and all. If you seek the depth and desperation, the poignant melancholy in Tchaikovsky's music, this may not be for you. In itself, however, it is absolutely irresistible and very deserving of the standing ovation, even from the Swedish Royal family. The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra -- a world-class ensemble -- and the Finnish conductor Sakari Oramo give perfect support to Bell. Both the flanking works, the third Leonore Overture (with valveless period trumpets!) and the Sibelius Fifth are exceptional in every respect. The Beethoven is heaven storming and finely shaded in its various moods and dynamics, the Sibelius symphony stunningly powerful and idiomatic: for me the high point of the concert. It brings to mind long gone great LP...

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