I heard Joshua Bell playing a Kreisler piece on my local classical radio station. I just had to hear more! He has a command of the violin & a deep affinity to the music of Kreisler. I have to admit I actually liked this recording of Bell playing Kreisler better than Kreisler playing Kreisler.

This CD is just great! The pieces are beautiful and Bell's performance is impeccable yet soulful. This is indeed the best Kreisler CD one can find on the market.

One of the glories of living in Bloomington, Indiana, is that I am surrounded by world class music performance opportunities, and one of the occasional treats has been Joshua Bell, whose family lived in Bloomington during his youth; Bell frequently returns home to play in concerts.

This particular album was recorded in the mid-1990s, while Bell was exiting his 'child prodigy' stage and becoming a performer whose staying power was being rapidly confirmed. Bell is a technical genius, with playing that is nearly flawless and has great range of interpretation.

Fritz Kreisler is probably a name not known to many, but according to Bell, 'I consider Fritz Kreisler to have been the last in a long line of great violinst-composers, which stretches back as far as Tartini and Corelli.' Because of the insight the violinist virtuoso brings to composition, there is a special feel to the music, for the violinist composer knows what the instrument is capable of in terms of tone, spirit, and technical expertise.

Kreisler was born in Vienna in 1875, but spent much of his life and gained much of his experience in France, Germany, and America (where he eventually became a citizen). He used to play with his audiences by passing off his own compositions as new 'arrangements' of previously unknown Baroque and Classical pieces; of course, some colleagues in the music world knew the truth, but perhaps it was owing to Kreisler's modesty that he didn't want to offer too many of his own pieces in performances.

Joshua Bell continues to record and perform with power and style, but perhaps this album remains one the best of his performances. Recorded at the urging of Josef Gingold, his teacher and mentor (who did not live to see the production completed), it has a poignancy about it, as well as good-heartedness that comes through very clearly.

Bell is joined by pianist Paul Coker as a brilliant accompanist; the duo provide a powerful pair for the expression of Kreisler's music.

What can I say? Bell is probably the best of the young generation violinists these days. He brings so much charm to anything he does. Lush sound, yet light where need be... Such beautiful phrasing, so well ballanced. This recording can be heard again and again and again, even if the music itself is not terribly deep... I love it.

After listening to disc after disc after disc of violin works, one finds oneself thinking, "Where has the passion gone for playing violin?" Yes, absolutely astounding recordings abound, but very few offer the true passion of putting the bow to the strings. Technique and "flawless" fingerings have reduced the modern virtuosi to mere composition puppets. They are all "perfect". It is truly a joy to hear a violinist passionate about his playing and that comes across very elatedly with Mr. Bell playing the pieces from Kreisler. Every track is played as though he honestly enjoys it! A superb recording from the student of Gingold.