Joshua Bell - Tchaikovsky Hybrid SA-CD

[Welly Wu]

Joshua Bell with Michael Tilson Thomas have recorded Tchaikovsky with the Berliner Philharmoniker on Hybrid SA-CD; needless to say, this is a top drawer performance for Bell's passionate attention to reproducing the entire sequence in full and his ardor for introducing contemporary American culture and society to classical music through his prodigious talents as a violin virtuoso. It should be noted that there are two distinct versions of this SA-CD: I purchased my copy from work at Barnes & Noble and it comes with a bonus track, "Serenade meloncolique in B-flat Minor, Op.26" whereas the other version presumably does not. The list price is quite steep for a Hybrid SA-CD at $18.99, but it is currently on sale for $15.99 USD (at BN). True, this is a "warhorse," but Bell's interpretation is reinvigorating and I firmly believe both he and Mr. Thomas have achieved their shared goals of highlighting the nuances of the forgotten sequences within this cherished work to the masses without boring them to sleep either. The Hybrid SA-CD version is fully compliant with the Red Book CD standard and it also offers both SA-CD two-channel and SA-CD 5.1 surround-sound layers for those who have invested in SONY's flailing SA-CD format. Highly recommended for all especially those who have a curiosity and interest in adding classical music to their repetoire. The catalog number is SH 97710 by Sony Classical.

 

[iDesign]

Thank you for sharing this information. Earlier this month I attended the Joshua Bell/ Jeffrey Kahane (Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto) performance at the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. While I have not purchased this sound recording yet, the timing of its release is great.

Best,
iDesign

P.S. Tyson if you should see this thread; were you in attendance for the Bell/ CSO performance? I would love to hear your thoughts on it!

 

[jpelg]

Thanks for the review, Welly. As someone who has gotten back into a hi-rez source, I appreciate the information on new SACD recordings.

 

[craiglester]

I was at the Bell/CSO performance.. My very first visit to the symphony - specifically to hear that piece.. Liked it a Lot, despite my seat in the nosebleeds..

I thought it was a fairly good rendition of the piece, although not quite as precise as the Repin performance I have here, although I must admit I was a bit carried away by the whole thing so I wasn't taking notes

Overall, SO much better than listening on the stereo at home

I wish they'd produce this piece in DVD-A - Don't want to buy an SACD player as well as a DVD-A player

 

[soundboy]

Just started getting into classical music, so I will probably pick this SACD up.

Edit: You can pick this SACD up at sonymusicstore.com for $14.00. However, there're some discount codes available that will make that price lower, such as the e-mail I received from Sony....

Quote:

To help you build your collection, we’ve extended and improved our SUMMER Sale through the end of September. For a limited time, get an extra $5 off when you spend at least $30 or $10 off if you spend at least $50. -- You’ll also automatically be entered to win 10 free CDs! To get the discount, use the promotional code SUMMER at checkout.

or if you use a Visa for payment, add the coupon code SAVEVISA2 and get 15% off. Not to mention free shipping for orders over $25.00.

 

[Oistrakh]

sorry, but I enjoy heifetz and oistrakh's recording. Joshua bell is just a poser