This release appeared in mid-2020 as the coronavirus epidemic dragged on, and home music-making began to ramp up for even the biggest stars. It would have been guaranteed a strong listenership in any event, for violinist Joshua Bell made the recording for a special broadcast on the U.S. PBS network, and these are clear indicators of commercial success. However, it would likely succeed purely on its own merits. The album offers Bell in a relaxed mood, playing 19th century showpieces and encores that he knows well, with friends (including, unusually, Beethoven specialist Jeremy Denk on piano) dropping in for duets, including a West Side Story medley to close by soprano Larisa Martinez. Her singing fits the intimate mood, and the whole program offers an excellent example of Bell's specialty: the old-fashioned virtuoso recital brought up to date with a few modern touches (Broadway musicals instead of Viennese popular tunes). He can do the likes of Wieniawski's Polonaise de Concert, Op. 4, in his sleep, which in this setting results not in boredom but in a program that invites one and all to enjoy. The result is a Joshua Bell album that could serve very well as an introduction to his art.
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