The Classical Album 1 / Vanessa-Mae

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Vanessa-Mae started her career as a violin prodigy at age 10. Now, as an adult, she successfully straddles the worlds of classical and popular music. This has made her a sensation, but judging from this disc, the publicity surrounding her has nothing to do with either music or her playing. She is clearly a very talented violinist. Her technique is solid, sometimes even brilliant, but it's so old-fashioned that one cannot tell whether she slides so much because she likes it or because she can't find better fingerings, and her vibrato only gets wider when she tries to make it more intense. Her approach to the music is idiosyncratic, but shows no personal involvement or romantic feeling. The Brahms Scherzo and Bruch's Scottish Fantasia are aggressive and accented, rather than dramatic and passionate; the Beethoven Romance is sentimental, rather than expressive.

The Third Bach Partita comes off best: though a bit stiff and stodgy, it has character and really dances. The program ends with her own pop-rock arrangement of the Fantasia's final Scottish song. The recording does not serve her well. Poor engineering makes her tone, though basically good, shrill and squeezed under stress; the piano sounds distant, but clangorous; the orchestra ragged and unbalanced. The booklet carries a skimpy biography and lots of hype, as well as a lengthy essay written by her that makes her sound arrogant, condescending, and defensive, though it is clear that she honestly aspires to be all things to all people. Also, it is printed in type so small as to be barely visible. --Edith Eisler

The Classical Album 1 / Vanessa-Mae, Music, Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Max Bruch, Vasko Vassilev, Viktor Fedotov, London Symphony Orchestra, Pamela Nicholson, Vanessa-Mae, Pamela Nicholson, Viktor Fedotov, Andy Hill, Peter Lockett, Graham Broad, Chamber, Chamber Music & Recitals, Classical, Classical Artists, Classical Crossover, Classical Music, Concerto, Euro-Pop, House, Pop, Violin Concerto, Violin Solo, Violin with Keyboard
The Classical Album 1 / Vanessa-Mae
Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
  • She's in over her head
  • No Sense of classics
  • Mae shows her cards
  • well lady, could you go back and practise?
  • She should stick to techno
 The Classical Album 1 / Vanessa-Mae
Pamela Nicholson , Viktor Fedotov , Andy Hill , Peter Lockett , and Graham Broad
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by J.S. BachAll Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by BeethovenAll Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by BrahmsAll Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by BruchAll Works by Bruch | Bruch, Max | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
ViolinViolin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
Vanessa-MaeVanessa-Mae | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
HouseHouse | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Euro Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000002SLL
Release Date: 1996-11-12

Tracks:

  1. Partita No. 3 In E For Solo Violin BWV 1006: I. Preludio
  2. Partita No. 3 In E For Solo Violin BWV 1006: II. Loure
  3. Partita No. 3 In E For Solo Violin BWV 1006: III. Gavotte en Rondeu
  4. Partita No. 3 In E For Solo Violin BWV 1006: IV. Menuet I
  5. Partita No. 3 In E For Solo Violin BWV 1006: V. Menuet II
  6. Partita No. 3 In E For Solo Violin BWV 1006: VI. Bourree
  7. Partita No. 3 In E For Solo Violin BWV 1006: VII. Gigue
  8. Scherzo In C Minor For Violin And Piano
  9. Romance No. 2 In F For Violin And Orchestra Op. 50
  10. Scottish Fantasy For Violin And Orchestra: 1st Movement - Introduction - Grave
  11. Scottish Fantasy For Violin And Orchestra: Adagio Cantabile (On 'Thro' The Wood, Laddie' - 'Auld Rob Morris')
  12. Scottish Fantasy For Violin And Orchestra: 2nd Movement - Allegro (On 'Hey The Dusty Miller')
  13. Scottish Fantasy For Violin And Orchestra: 3rd Movement - Adagio
  14. Scottish Fantasy For Violin And Orchestra: Andante Sostenuto (On 'I'm A-Doun For Lack O' Johnnie')
  15. Scottish Fantasy For Violin And Orchestra: 4th Movement - Finale - Allegro Guerriero (On 'Scots Wha Hae')
  16. I'm a-doun For Lack O'Johnnie (A Little Scottish Fantasy)

Amazon.com

Vanessa-Mae started her career as a violin prodigy at age 10. Now, as an adult, she successfully straddles the worlds of classical and popular music. This has made her a sensation, but judging from this disc, the publicity surrounding her has nothing to do with either music or her playing. She is clearly a very talented violinist. Her technique is solid, sometimes even brilliant, but it's so old-fashioned that one cannot tell whether she slides so much because she likes it or because she can't find better fingerings, and her vibrato only gets wider when she tries to make it more intense. Her approach to the music is idiosyncratic, but shows no personal involvement or romantic feeling. The Brahms Scherzo and Bruch's Scottish Fantasia are aggressive and accented, rather than dramatic and passionate; the Beethoven Romance is sentimental, rather than expressive.

The Third Bach Partita comes off best: though a bit stiff and stodgy, it has character and really dances. The program ends with her own pop-rock arrangement of the Fantasia's final Scottish song. The recording does not serve her well. Poor engineering makes her tone, though basically good, shrill and squeezed under stress; the piano sounds distant, but clangorous; the orchestra ragged and unbalanced. The booklet carries a skimpy biography and lots of hype, as well as a lengthy essay written by her that makes her sound arrogant, condescending, and defensive, though it is clear that she honestly aspires to be all things to all people. Also, it is printed in type so small as to be barely visible. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

2 out of 5 stars She's in over her head.......2007-05-17

While these are not horrible performances, they are exceedingly shallow. Vanessa-Mae clearly has no understanding of how one is supposed to build and shape a piece of music. This is particularly apparent with the Bach Partita, where one cannot rely on spiffy orchestration to save one's [...] --- it's just the violinist and the music, and it's up to the performer alone to make the music speak to the audience.

In this performer's hands, the music simply drifts along without direction or focus. Clearly there is no musical maturity here. For those apologists who would say, "but she was only 17 when she recorded it," I would reply that she should do her musical growing up before stepping into a recording studio. Besides, I thought she was supposed to be a prodigy. This doesn't sound prodigious, only lackluster.

1 out of 5 stars No Sense of classics.......2005-07-29

I was lucky to have not wasted any buck on it.Thanks for the lovely service!the sample of 1 minute aimless lousing on note leaded me to an immediate decision.

3 out of 5 stars Mae shows her cards.......2004-05-05

With this album Vanessa Mae fans and classical violin connoisseurs now have the opportunity to judge her playing on its own merits as she covers standard classical violin repertoire rather than pop tunes or jazzed up versions of classical pieces. What we see is that Mae does indeed possess a considerable amount of technical ability and talent, even if her musicianship and tone are somewhat lacking. Mae excels with her Bach interpretations (Preludio and Loure were my favorites) where her ability to navigate the complexities of the cross string work and bowing challenges is displayed, but falls somewhat short in her efforts with Beethoven, Bruch, and Brahms where there is more demand for expression and musical maturity.

There is a tendency in the world of classical music to dismiss artists who dabble in the world of pop music as shallow or phony. Often you see people malign every living violinist as unworthy heirs of the legacies of Heifetz, Oistrach, and Kreisler. These critics, of course, would rip into Vanessa Mae like a dog with a freshly grilled t-bone steak. The fact is, her playing isn't as good as die hard Mae fans would have you believe, nor is it as bad as the purists claim. This album isn't an attempt to gain credibility and widespread acceptance in the classical community, in my opinion, but rather an effort to introduce her loyal fans to the works of these great classical composers whom she apparently loves and admires. One thing she has proven is that an artist can succeed playing both pop and classical in their repertoire if they give a quality presentation of each in an entertaining fashion. This album is a part of that ongoing effort on Mae's part, and deserves to be judged as such and nothing more.

2 out of 5 stars well lady, could you go back and practise?.......2003-05-27

i do not mean she's bad, while any academic student could play like this. one could play down from classical to pop, and a pop star could use classical as a flavor; while now you started from below. if you go on like this, i'm just afraid that neither your pop fans nor any classical fans would stick on you. in addition, people would continuosly recall these "similarities" between you and pagnini as mentioned by advertisements, so, please, have more practices. one day, as you no longer have to struggle to play bach's partitas, hopefully you could be re-recognized as a moderate player, though i don't think that's the right way for you to go. why not go on with your commercial performances? don't get ashamed, there would be people like that, even if i'm not one of them.

1 out of 5 stars She should stick to techno.......2002-11-15

Serious classical music fans will no doubt be disappointed with the quality of playing on this CD. While Mae seems to have carved out a niche market for herself with her electronically-enhanced versions of some classical pieces, she is not a wonderful classical artist: this is made obvious with her attempt to join the mainstream classical community. While she demonstrates decent technique, there are a countless number of other musicians who play Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and Bruch better than she does, with much better phrasing and tone quality. (Any senior student at Julliard or Curtis would sound better than she does.)

It would be silly to compare Mae's Brahms and Beethoven with the thoughtful, beautiful renditions that Zukerman has recorded, likewise the Bach and Bruch of Heifetz is in a completely different leagues than Mae's. If you like Mae stick to her other work, if you like Brahms, Beethoven, Bach, and Bruch, stick to bona fide classical artists.
The Classical Album 1 / Vanessa-Mae [Enhanced CD]
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Criticism for the common man
 The Classical Album 1 / Vanessa-Mae [Enhanced CD]
Vanessa-Mae , and Max Bruch
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000002ST7
Release Date: 1997-11-18

Tracks:

  1. Partita No. 3 - I. Preludio
  2. Partita No. 3 - II. Loure
  3. Partita No. 3 - III. Gavotte en Rondeau
  4. Partita No. 3 - IV. Menuet I
  5. Partita No. 3 - V. Menuet II
  6. Partita No. 3 - VI. Bourree
  7. Partita No. 3 - VII. Gigue
  8. Brahms - Scherzo from 'F-A-E' Sontata for violin and piano
  9. Beethoven - Romance no 2 for violin and orchestra
  10. Bruch Scottish Fantasy - Introduction
  11. Bruch Scottish Fantasy - Adagio cantabile
  12. Bruch Scottish Fantasy - Allegro
  13. Bruch Scottish Fantasy - Adagio
  14. Bruch Scottish Fantasy - Andante sostenuto
  15. Bruch Scottish Fantasy - Finale
  16. I'm a-doun for lack o' Johnnie (A little Scottish fantasy)

Amazon.com

Vanessa-Mae started her career as a violin prodigy at age 10. Now, as an adult, she successfully straddles the worlds of classical and popular music. This has made her a sensation, but judging from this disc, the publicity surrounding her has nothing to do with either music or her playing. She is clearly a very talented violinist. Her technique is solid, sometimes even brilliant, but it's so old-fashioned that one cannot tell whether she slides so much because she likes it or because she can't find better fingerings, and her vibrato only gets wider when she tries to make it more intense. Her approach to the music is idiosyncratic, but shows no personal involvement or romantic feeling. The Brahms Scherzo and Bruch's Scottish Fantasia are aggressive and accented, rather than dramatic and passionate; the Beethoven Romance is sentimental, rather than expressive.

The Third Bach Partita comes off best: though a bit stiff and stodgy, it has character and really dances. The program ends with her own pop-rock arrangement of the Fantasia's final Scottish song. The recording does not serve her well. Poor engineering makes her tone, though basically good, shrill and squeezed under stress; the piano sounds distant, but clangorous; the orchestra ragged and unbalanced. The booklet carries a skimpy biography and lots of hype, as well as a lengthy essay written by her that makes her sound arrogant, condescending, and defensive, though it is clear that she honestly aspires to be all things to all people. Also, it is printed in type so small as to be barely visible. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Criticism for the common man.......2002-01-09

Unlike Edith Eisler, I am not a great (or even minor) scholar of classical music. I simply enjoy it. Sure, I can hear that some recordings are better than others, but when it comes to the subtelties that Eisler is concerned with, I can not distinguish them, or talk about them with much intelligence. I spend my time studying other things.

However, listening to Vanessa-Mae gives me great pleasure. She puts a fresh and exciting spin on music that has always been great, and has been performed greatly by others before. But I enjoy Vanessa-Mae's interpretations. I cannot say much on the process of technique, I have never played the violin, nor am I articulate on its subtelties. However, from experience with other things in life, I realize that if life were to be a never-ending university exam on the medium each artist chooses to express themselves, than we would lose great poetry, great writing and great music - because it is the mastering of the technique and the the sometimes refusal of it that oftentimes infuses pieces with tone, variety and, yes, passion.

I would recommend the cd to anyone. It made me cry in some places and skip in others. I especially enjoy Vanessa-Mae's modernized interpretation of Scottish Fantasy. For those of us uneducated in the arts of the violin, it moves the heart and challenges the mind.

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