Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating: 
Summary: Stupendous
Comment: I won't bore you with everything I know about music, Joshua Bell and the Tchaikovsky concerto. This one is special. Bell is far from being just another dazzling virtuoso, although that's a big aspect of what Tchaikovsky is all about. The first movement cadenza is impressive, as is the slow movement and the pyrotechnics in the last movememnt. Makes you wonder if this is the same composer who wrote Nutcracker and Swan Lake. It really is eye and ear-opening. The surround sound is really incredible, if you have SACD or a universal player and 5 speakers. Bell is solid, the interpretation works and the orchestra, well what can you say about Berlin and Tilson Thomas, very good. I've heard better but so what. It's always good to hear another interpretation and this is a welcome addition to the catalog. Even better in surround sound. GET IT!!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Recording!
Comment: I have long been a fan of Joshua Bell and particularly his recording of the Tchaikovsky concerto with the Cleveland Orchestra and Christoph von Dohnanyi back in 1988. When I saw that he had revisited the Tchaikovsky recording, this time with the Berlin Philharmonic and Michael Tilson Thomas, I immediately pick up a copy.
The new interpretation is stellar, to say the least. Bell's maturity and mastery of this work is apparent and the support of the world-class Berlin Philharmonic is a perfect accompaniment. The clean sound of the SACD recording is a welcome plus, though even without SACD the sound is well-balanced and crystal clear.
It is worth noting that if you like this recording, be sure to pick up Bell's original recording of the piece, now available in a bargain 2-disc set on London/Decca, with the originally coupled Wieniawski concerto, plus the Schumann and Brahms concerto!
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Joshua Bell Reinterprets A Beloved Concerto
Comment: It used to be easy to dismiss Joshua Bell. True, he has always been a talented musician, but in the early years of his career, his publicists seemed more intent on selling his image rather than his ability. Of course this is nothing new. It happened in past generations, it happens today, and will happen in the future. While many of the young superstars tend to fizzle, Joshua Bell has not and has shifted from being a kid with talent to a young musician who has something significant to contribute to classical music, a musician who cannot be ignored by audiences or critics.
For this recording, Bell has selected one of his favorites, the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. This is not his first recording of the work, but he has said in interviews it is one of his favorite pieces and he likes to explore ways of nuancing his interpretations. This is the case in this recording. Bell gives a solid performance of the work and since it is a live recording, there is a certain intensity not always found in studio recordings. There are two studio recorded pieces included on the disc: The Meditation in D Minor and the Russian Dance from SWAN LAKE. The Meditation provides the listener another opportunity to hear Bell's sumptuous playing and the Russian Dance gives him the opportunity to display the musical fireworks he can employ to thrill an audience. The Berlin Philharmonic is under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. Thomas' conducting is more subdued than other well known Berlin Philharmonic conductors of the past, namely Karajan and Bohm, but it seems as if he does so to bring out the soloist's gifts. Unfortunately, the orchestral playing does not match the excitement of Bell's playing at some points in the Concerto and in the Russian Dance.
We have no way of knowing if this will become the definitive Bell interpretation of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. He is only in his mid-thirties and is constantly maturing as a musician, but I'm sure this recording will be enjoyed by many and is a worthy addition to any recording collection.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto [Hybrid SACD]
Comment: This is a truly superb recording! I can't get enough of it, so I play it over and over. The concerto is fresh and dynamic. I find the long solo in the first movement breath-taking as the notes soar to exquisite heights. Bell's always incredible tonal beauty is virtually intoxicating in this CD. Though I've heard this concerto numerous times and by many artists, I find Bell makes it new and exciting. I'm pleased he recorded the Meditation and the Dance Russe on this CD also, both of which are beautiful pieces but previously unfamiliar to me. However many performances of the concerto you may have heard, you may find this one will blow you away.
Customer Rating:
Summary: One of Joshua Bell's Finest Recordings
Comment: Joshua Bell has been capturing the hearts and applause of audiences around the world for a the past several years, striding out on stage with his handsome and elegant appearance and playing a very wide repertoire of violin concerti with involvement and musicality. In this recording of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D major all of his positive attributes are now enhanced with a lush, even tone and an intimate approach to one of the violin blockbuster pieces. It is a wholly successful venture.
Bell continues to grow as an artist and much of that growth comes in the quality of tone he now produces. It is creamy where called for and crisp and incisive when challenged. His approach to the Tchaikovsky is a passionate one, though without the overplaying that creeps into so many other violinist's readings. He is well supported by the Berlin Philharmonic under the warmly compatible leadership of Michael Tilson Thomas. This is a Tchaikovsky concerto performance to cherish.
Adding to the recording are three well-selected works by Tchaikovsky - the playful 'Danse Russe' from 'Swan Lake', 'Meditation, in D major', and 'Serenade melancolique, for violin & orchestra in B minor'. They are beautifully performed and feel like well-deserved encores to the concerto! Highly recommended. Grady Harp, October 05
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