Cast
Anoushka Shankar — Sitarist
Tobias Koch — Pianist
Program notes
Generously supported by Madame Aline Foriel-Destezet
For over a decade, Joshua Bell—the “poet of the violin”—has been a regular guest of honor at the Verbier Festival. As a soloist, chamber musician and conductor, he has performed a marvelously wide range of repertoire. Relive some of the most remarkable moments of his previous Verbier appearances, all highlighting the limpid phrasing and lyrical tone of his 1713 Stradivarius, played as only he can play it!
Bell's best-of begins with a lesser-known gem of the violin repertoire, Henri Vieuxtemps's Violin Concerto No. 5. Nearly forgotten in the years following its composition, this extraordinarily demanding work has gained renewed appreciation as one of the composer's most important creations. An exhilarating duo with the incredible Anoushka Shankar is also on the program, featuring an interpretation of Variant Moods by Ravi Shankar, the father (and famous friend to the Beatles) of the illustrious sitarist.
From concertos to sonatas, as a soloist and alongside fellow superstars, Joshua Bell is an ever-capable guide to lead us on a high-flying tour through music history in pieces by Haydn, Dvořák, Moszkowski, Franck, Ysaÿe, and Shostakovich: an electic and exciting selection that will enchant longtime fans and newcomers alike!