Nigel Kennedy - Greatest Hits 2002

Violinist Nigel Kennedy long stopped annoying or surprising concertgoers and disc buyers with his looks and manners–the cover of this CD pictures him with red and blue paint on his face, and he's biting his violin. If that irritates you, his playing certainly will not. Here, two movements from Vivaldi's Four Seasons act as bookends to, among other pieces: a Satie Gymnopédie, exquisitely played, with lovely embellishments near its close; Vaughan Williams's floating Lark Ascending; a stunning, virtuosic Bach solo (never before released); a soft-edged Bach chorale; a soupy, sentimental "Danny Boy"; a slightly overwrought "Scarborough Fair"; a piece by Kennedy himself; and a few other surprises. Kennedy's tone is lush and warm, and his emotionalism almost never overwhelms the music. Greatest hits? More like greatest encores. But definitely a terrific 71 minutes of fiddling.

Robert Levine

On this CD:

1. Violin Concerto, for violin, strings & continuo in E major ("La Primavera," The Four Seasons; "Il cimento" No. 1), Op.8/1, RV 269 I. Allegro
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
Performed by English Chamber Orchestra
with Nigel Kennedy

2. Méditation, violin & orchestra version and various arrangements (from opera "Thäis")
Composed by Jules Massenet
Performed by English Chamber Orchestra
with Osian Ellis, Nigel Kennedy

3. Gymnopedie for piano No.1
Composed by Erik Satie
Performed by English Chamber Orchestra
with Julie Price, Nigel Kennedy, John Anderson

4. The Lark Ascending, romance for violin & orchestra
Composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Performed by Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
with Nigel Kennedy
Conducted by Simon Rattle

5. La fille aux cheveux de lin, prelude for piano, L. 117/8
Composed by Claude Debussy
Performed by English Chamber Orchestra
with Nigel Kennedy

6. Sonata for solo violin No. 3 in C major, BWV 1005 IV. Allegro assai
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
with Nigel Kennedy

7. Praeludium and Allegro in the Style of Pugnani, for violin & piano
Composed by Fritz Kreisler
with Nigel Kennedy, John Lenehan

8. O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort, chorale setting for 4 voices, BWV 397 (BC F156) Es ist genug, so nimm, Herr
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
with Jonathan Gandelsman, Robert Brophy, Reinhard Armleder, Nigel Kennedy

9. Danny Boy (Londonderry Air)
Composed by Hamilton Harty
Performed by English Chamber Orchestra
with Liam O'Flynn, Osian Ellis, Nigel Kennedy

10. Scarborough Fair
Composed by English Traditional
Performed by English Chamber Orchestra
with Liam O'Flynn, Doug Boyle, Gregory Knowles, Nigel Kennedy, David C. Heath, Rory McFarlane

11. Melody in the wind, for violin & orchestra
Composed by Nigel Kennedy
Performed by English Chamber Orchestra
with Janice Knight, Doug Boyle, Rory McFarlane, John Anderson, Julie Price, David C. Heath, Nigel Kennedy, Gregory Knowles

12. Csárdás, for violin & orchestra
Composed by Vittorio Monti
with Nigel Kennedy

13. Violin Concerto, for violin, strings & continuo in F major ("L'autunno," The Four Seasons; "Il cimento" No. 3), Op.8/3, RV 293 III. Allegro
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
Performed by English Chamber Orchestra
with Nigel Kennedy