Joshua Michael Schrei

Handel's Old Testament oratorios can be difficult to tell apart–tenor Israelite hero, bass enemy or éminence grise, soprano ingenue, and alto priest or youth. What distinguishes Joshua? Real characters: tenor Joshua, confident to the point of conceit; grizzled old general Caleb, wistfully facing retirement; alto Othniel, an excited young warrior/lover fighting battles to win Caleb's giddy daughter, Achsah. Joshua's highlights are the showpiece arias. James Bowman sails through Othniel's impetuous "Let danger surround me"; Emma Kirkby (one of the best ornamenters in the business) charms and fascinates in Achsah's "Oh, had I Jubal's lyre" and "Hark! 'tis the linnet"; George Ainsley is a Joshua both vigorous and graceful, the chorus and the brass are stunning in "Glory to God" as they bring the walls of Jericho tumbling down.

Joshua Bell - Complete Decca Recordings [14CDs Box Set] (2024)
MP3 320 Kbps | Run Time: 00:15:09:09 | 2.04 Gb
Genre: Classical | Label: Decca Eloquence

Un virtuoso del nuevo mundo con musicalidad del viejo mundo: las grabaciones completas de Decca de JOSHUA BELL, capturando la primera década de la carrera del violinista registrada. Decca firmó a Joshua Bell, de diecinueve años, en 1986 sobre la base de cintas de concierto hechas en privado. Bell había tomado un violín por primera vez a la edad de cuatro años, pero había estado tomando el instrumento en serio durante menos de una década. Su musicalidad y aptitud técnica fueron nutridas y entrenadas por Josef Gingold, un alumno de Eugène Ysaÿe.

German composer Michael Praetorius, whose life bridged the 16th and 17th centuries, was one of his era's most prolific writers, both of musical works and of works about music. His "Syntagma Musicum" remains one of the most important treatises on instruments and performance practice; he composed many volumes of Protestant hymn-based works, motets, psalms, works for multiple choir, and Latin music for the Lutheran service. The "Magnificat" performed on this program is one of 14 that Praetorius included in his Megalynodia Sionia, published in 1611. Its polyphonic style and rich instrumental writing–particularly for brass–is occasionally reminiscent of Gabrieli, whose works Praetorius studied; or Schutz, with whom he traveled throughout Germany.

Joshua Perahia (pronounced Pûr-i-yä) is pioneer in Christian rock. Before there was a Stryper, before Barren Cross appeared on the scene, there stood alone one band, and that was JOSHUA. Through his faith and desire to share his love of God, Joshua made it his life's mission to realize his musical vision and JOSHUA was born.

The two CDs forming Vol. 2 are also based on a new collection and edition of the extant musical materials. The order of the pieces on the recording initially adheres to the sequence of the chorale settings in the musicological edition. The result includes programs with special thematic Christmas, Passiontide, Easter, Psalm settings, and catechism songs. This new recording is an invitation to listeners everywhere to rediscover Pachelbel's versatility as a keyboard composer.