Tchaikovsky rings a Bell

"Romance of the Violin", Joshua Bells latest album, was the most succesful Classical album of 2004 in the USA. The collection of famous melodies and well-known classics apparently (and expectedly) struck a chord with a wide audience. All those afraid that this would mark the beginning of Bells commercial phase and a turn to Crossover territory can now breath a sigh of relief: Just after the release of the "Ladies in Lavender"-Soundtrack for new movie featuring Judy Dench, Maggie Smith and German "rookie" Daniel Brühl, to which Joshua contributes the Violin solo, he is back with a recording of Tchaikovskys Violin Concerto. This represents a co-operation with the Berlin Philharmonics headed by Michael Tilson-Thomas. Even though the album will be released on May 23rd in Germany and we have not as yet had the chance to listen to it, Bell already gave a hint as to what to expect. Even though he fully realised that this was an extrovert and pompous work, he stated: "Quite often, one overlooks the tender aspects of it. Really, it's the most tender, elegant and dance-like "Bellwether" I know!" The CD will also feature three further pieces by Tchaikovsky, namely the "Serenade melancholique", the "d-minor Meditation" and the "Danse Russe" from Swan Lake.

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