Joshua Bell - BACH & friends - Michael Lawrence Films

[ambercatgoddess]

I am trying not to cry but here I am..eyes filling up..wow so beautiful.

[Misterhenriques]

Lol have people actually said that Josh Bell mucked this Bach piece? LOL Joshua Bell is a world renown violin virtuoso, he couldn't possibly fuck any solo violin piece up. The Chaconne was written for a solo violin; and Joshua Bell is better than the violinist who first played the Chaconne. By the way this is one of the most complex violin pieces ever written, so to all you nay sayers: I'd love to see you even play a violin, let alone be at the level of greatness required to play this piece.

[ncethngs]

I don't know how flawed his technical playing is but I can tell he is passionate about music and it resonates with his playing. I can still hear Bach in the music. His instrument sounds incredible as well. That's enough for me. Thanks to the channel that shared the video.

[ProgressiveEccentric]

@clumpofdirt77 Hopefully you're not generalizing all liberals with that comment. I have no clue who said this was emotionless (Joshua Bell most certainly never is), but I just hope you don't use that one example of a "pseudo-intellectual" to rag on a whole group of people, to which this person might not even belong

[mynamesjimmyg]

@clumpofdirt77 great comment

[TheRonjameson]

I don't know about best performances, but the Chaconne is surely among the greatest music ever written. Brahms said of it, "... the man writes a whole world of the deepest thoughts and most powerful feelings. If I imagined that I could have created, even conceived the piece, I am quite certain that the excess of excitement and earth-shattering experience would have driven me out of my mind."

[BenMcCormack91]

His comment about people being moved by Bach vs. being moved by the player - that made me happy. Good musicians are never playing for themselves, but for the composers.

Say what you will about his interpretation. I, personally, like it, I like him, and I like Bach, so I have no problems with this video whatsoever, and feel no need to rank the musicians of the world in order from best to worst. Keep judging and quibbling over opinions if you must, but I'm satisfied.

[rmgj]

Mr. Dirt, I'd agree with most of your comment, perhaps a different choice of words would have served it better, but, yes we know the type.

[clumpofdirt77]

I agree. Looking at my comment now I see that I couldve done a better job with phrasing and word choice/usage. Oh well, that's what I get for typing without thinking - I suppose it was more of a rant than anything. I just get irritated at these people who fancy themselves as being authorities on subjects that they clearly know nothing about.

[rmgj]

Yes, we see so many flat footed comments, some downright moronic, some deserve an answer, some do not, but, please, do not let them irritate you, at the end you end up angry and frustrated, and, most likely that your advise will carry this message, hardly anything positive will come of it, and there are many here out side who'd benefit from opinions from cultivated, well trained persons like you. Cheers and all the best.

[jasonform]

How beautiful...(i'm beeing ironic)

[pattygdc75]

he' is great ...awesome!!!

[Pascalou]

@clumpofdirt77

Thanks for reading my mind!

I dare people to play that piece with the dexterity of Mr Bell. So easy to critique!

[MrFroad]

Emotionless? If there was a violinist today that puts emotion in playing it is Joshua Bell. Of all the violin virtuosos attempting this piece, i'd rate Joshua Bell as 2nd best behind the legendary Jascha Heifetz. This piece, first of all, is one of the hardest pieces to master. Secondly, to get the full range of emotion into the song requires insight. I like Joshua Bell because he is a master to not only the violin strings but the heartstrings as well. I dislike his swaying but it is only minor.

[pppsssssssss]

2nd to Heifetz? Are you kidding me? Out of all the violinists, you put Mr. Bell as the second greatest?! I suggest listening to Milstein, Oistrakh, Menuhin, Kreisler, Ferras, Haendel, Neveu, Elman, Enesco, Francescatti, Gitlis, Perlman, Zukerman, etc.

As much as I love Joshua Bell's performances and playing, I would never ever make that claim of him being second best to Heifetz...that's just the reality

[MrFroad]

Read my post again, I never said that he was the second best, just that his version of the Chaconne was the second best in my opinion. I have listened to most virtuosos play this piece, so I can have my own opinion as to who I think is better. Just like I put Heifetz's version of Ave Maria behind Bell, who actually did a very good job in that rendition. But, I'd say it is rather unanimous that Heifetz owns the Chaconne hands down : )

[Muggleman12]

@pppsssssssss and hilary hahn!

[MissYavanna]

@ MiloArc

Are you from Joshua's forum?

[MissYavanna]

I saw Joshua Bell live last June and an "emontionless playing" is totally the opposite I listened. He must be one of the most expressive musicians I've seen. But I guess it depends on the mood of the listener in that moment. When I fisrt listened to this video I found it awesome, great. And I still see it in the same way.

[MiloArc]

Oh, I know! Let's see a video of YOU playing it better!

Put up or shut up, critic.

[MrJohmart]

@MiloArc the lack of ability to play as well as Joshua Bell does not prevent one from finding people who play better than him.

[cellogirl373]

JB's version is so gentle and lyrical... I love it.

[rbaughman]

SONG?

[fiddlercrab3]

Yeah, you know... the one that goes, "chu-WAH, de ZHWAH, zhuWAH..." ;-)

[cellogirl373]

hahaha.

cloverscapeluvr: No. YOU have issues.

[Diomedea7]

Interpretation can be genius in and of itself. This is Genius. It takes as much of a master to to create the notes, perhaps more so in it's own way, as it does to write them down on paper.

Mr. bell, You are a master. Thank you for sharing your gift.

Diomedea- the Albatross

[nbaum0]

he should really release some recordings of bach it seems to really be one of his strong suits

[MissYavanna]

I know nothing about music, but I get goose bumps when I listen to him.

[sarahxboxbeara]

ahhhhh.... this makes me wonder why I even bother trying to play violin because I know I'll never be this good..

[basicstoflow]

you don't need to compare yourself with others, just enjoy the music you play, it is not about how good you are

[n0ukf]

I know I'll never be very good on mandolin (like Jethro Burns and Chris Thile) but playing isn't about others' enjoyment, it's about my own. Keep playing for your own enjoyment.

[00muinamir]

The elegance of Bach turns the music into a mirror--of the performer, and of the listener. You get out of it the story that you put in. I admire Josh's playing because I think he lets us peek deeper into his psyche than most other players. Especially when you do Bach or Mozart, you really are vulnerable, in a way. I like more straightforward interpretations as well, but there's something compelling about the way he opens up here.

[9031879134]

I will admit that his technique is flawless in this recording, but I really prefer this piece played more straightforward. But, I guess I also like to hear it played in many different ways, because it is I think one of the greatest works ever.

[andrebarnas]

fantastic.