Learn Joshua Idehen

Existing fans of violinist Joshua Bell are already well-acquainted with the broad scope of repertoire and performance abilities ranging deftly from the classical concerto repertoire to his well-known collaborations with Edgar Meyer. For those unfamiliar with Bell's recorded works, this two-disc set of The Essential Joshua Bell provides quite a comprehensive overview of his wide-ranging talents. Of course, it could also be argued that if one movement of a concerto is "essential," so too should be the rest of the movements.

Stradivarius est un nom gravé dans la mémoire collective, bien au-delà du cercle des initiés au classique. Le célèbre luthier meurt à Crémone en 1737 laissant derrière lui de nombreux violons à la sonorité inégalée (et quelques violoncelles aussi). Il en aurait produit près dun millier. Beaucoup sont encore en circulation, au fond de coffres de banques, de mécènes, ou fort heureusement encore joués par les plus grands interprètes vivants. 2CD Un best of violon de premier ordre. Un parcours idéal dans le grand répertoire, mais aussi des curiosités inhabituelles sous larchet brillant et au son voluptueux du Stradivarius de Joshua Bell.

The hype machine wants us to love the stars it promotes, which has a backlash effect. I'm not sure many serious listeners would rank Joshua Bell as a first-class musician, given his glamorous popular image. But he's up to everything Prokofiev throws at the soloist in his two violin concertos and two sonatas. This bargain two-fer can stand up to any rival, including Oistrakh and Perlman. I'm only sorry I overlooked it for so long.

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.

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. –Matthew Westphal

Purcell was not just a creature of the theatre - his genius with the human voice also extended to sacred and secular songs. Among his least well-known works, many of Purcell's sacred songs remained in manuscript and known only to a select few. It is possible that they were intended solely for an elite audience at court. Published by Henry Playford, Harmonia Sacra was a two-volume anthology of devotional song containing compositions by Purcell and several of his contemporaries.

Bassist Edgar Meyer, equally at home in Nashville or Lincoln Center, likes to invite his classical friends to mix with his country friends in performances of his hybrid brand of bluegrass chamber music. In SHORT TRIP HOME, he has assembled a team long on bow arms. Featured are guitarist Mike Marshall and mandolin player Sam Bush, both of whom double on fiddle, and star violinist Joshua Bell, the name above the title, who not only fits well into the proceedings, but soars right above them when the occasion calls for it.