Classic Kennedy

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Just in case you thought Nigel Kennedy--fresh from his Hendrix tribute album--had left the classical music repertoire for good, think again. On Classic Kennedy, the fiddler is situated with the English Chamber Orchestra in a program that spans from Bach to Satie. (Yes, you also get a Joni Mitchell tune; "Scarborough Fair"; and the fiddler's own forgettable "Melody in the Wind," too.) The sequencing is a bit disjointed--the summer storm from The Four Seasons is followed by Massenet's blissful "Meditation" from Thaïs--and Kennedy's performances range from good to fair. The English Chamber Orchestra does an admirable job on these diverse works (it deserves a lot of credit here), but it'll be up to the listener to decide whether he or she wants to hear "Air on the G String" followed by Kennedy's version of "Danny Boy." As with most Kennedy discs, you'll either love it or hate it. --Jason Verlinde

Classic Kennedy, Music, Antonio Vivaldi, Jules Massenet, English Traditional, Johannes Brahms, Fryderyk Chopin, Erik Satie, George Gershwin, Johann Sebastian Bach, Vittorio Monti, George Frideric Handel, Charles Gounod, Claude Debussy, Nikolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov, William Kroll, Pablo de Sarasate, Joni Mitchell, English Chamber Orchestra, Nigel Kennedy, Osian Ellis, London Voices, John Anderson, David Thomas, Harold Lester, Andrew Crowley, Charles Tunnell, Baroque Suite/Partita for Orchestra, Chamber, Chamber Music & Recitals, Choral, Classical, Classical Artists, Classical Music, Collection of Preludes for Keyboard, Concerto, Folk Song, Keyboard, Keyboard Work with Descriptive or Unclassified Title, Miscellaneous, Miscellaneous Music
The Man & His Music
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		The Man & His Music

    Manufacturer: Classic Options
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Lehár, Franz | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    All Works by SchubertAll Works by Schubert | Schubert, Franz | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    All Works by Robert SchumannAll Works by Robert Schumann | Schumann, Robert | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    Vocal & SongVocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    Vocal & SongVocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
    Modern & 20th CenturyModern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Pop | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music
    Orchestral PopOrchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
    Solo InstrumentalSolo Instrumental | New Age | Styles | Music
    ClassicalClassical | Imports | Stores | Music
    ASIN: B000050LQD
    Release Date: 2006-08-15

    Tracks:

    1. Ragamuffin
    2. Fete in Santa Lucia
    3. Have You Forgotten So Soon?
    4. Madame You're Lovely
    5. You're Laughing at Me
    6. Spider of the Night
    7. No More You
    8. In a German Beer Garden
    9. September in the Rain
    10. Aromas Mendocinas
    11. Maracay
    12. Eto Nutche
    13. Traumerei
    14. Romany
    15. Speak to Me of Love
    16. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
    17. Rose Dreams
    18. Nothing Lives Longer Than Love
    19. Serenade [The Student Prince]
    20. Ten Pretty Girls
    Classic Kennedy
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • CLAIM
    • Romantic-Styled Playing
    • The beauty as it is
    • Clearly Kennedy
    • An Interesting Concept, A Failed Production
    		 Classic Kennedy
    Antonio Vivaldi , Jules Massenet , English Traditional , Johannes Brahms , Fryderyk Chopin , Erik Satie , George Gershwin , Johann Sebastian Bach , Vittorio Monti , George Frideric Handel , Charles Gounod , Claude Debussy , Nikolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov , William Kroll , Pablo de Sarasate , Joni Mitchell , English Chamber Orchestra , Nigel Kennedy , Osian Ellis , London Voices , John Anderson , David Thomas , Harold Lester , Andrew Crowley , and Charles Tunnell
    Manufacturer: EMI Classics
    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 BrahmsAll Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    All Works by ChopinAll Works by Chopin | Chopin, Frédéric | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    All Works by GershwinAll Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    All Works by GounodAll Works by Gounod | Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    All Works by HandelAll Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    All Works by MassenetAll Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    All Works by SarasateAll Works by Sarasate | Sarasate, Pablo de | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    All Works by SatieAll Works by Satie | Satie, Erik | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    All Works by VivaldiAll Works by Vivaldi | Vivaldi, Antonio | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    All Works by DebussyAll Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    PreludesPreludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    NocturnesNocturnes | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    SuitesSuites | 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 | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
    ViolinViolin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
    Kennedy, NigelKennedy, Nigel | ( K ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
    RomancesRomances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
    RussianRussian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
    OratoriosOratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
    Folk SongsFolk Songs | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
    OratoriosOratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
    Similar Items:
    1. The Kennedy Experience
    2. Nigel Kennedy's Greatest Hits
    3. Antonio Vivaldi: The Four Seasons [Complete]
    4. Kennedy Plays Bach
    5. Nigel Kennedy: Vivaldi

    ASIN: B000026D4B
    Release Date: 2000-02-01

    Tracks:

    1. Concerto No. 2 In G Minor: The Four Seasons - III Presto
    2. Meditation from Thais
    3. Scarborough Fair (Trad.)
    4. Hungarian Dance No. 5
    5. Nocturne in C Sharp Minor Op. Posth.
    6. Gymnopedie (No. 2
    7. Prelude No. 1
    8. Air on the G String
    9. Danny Boy
    10. Czardas
    11. The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba
    12. Ave Maria
    13. La Fille aux Cheveux de Lin
    14. Gymnopedie No. 1
    15. Prelude No. 2
    16. The Flight of the Bumble-Bee
    17. Banjo and Fiddle
    18. Zigeunnerweiden
    19. Urge for Going
    20. Melody in the Wind

    Amazon.com

    Just in case you thought Nigel Kennedy--fresh from his Hendrix tribute album--had left the classical music repertoire for good, think again. On Classic Kennedy, the fiddler is situated with the English Chamber Orchestra in a program that spans from Bach to Satie. (Yes, you also get a Joni Mitchell tune; "Scarborough Fair"; and the fiddler's own forgettable "Melody in the Wind," too.) The sequencing is a bit disjointed--the summer storm from The Four Seasons is followed by Massenet's blissful "Meditation" from Thaïs--and Kennedy's performances range from good to fair. The English Chamber Orchestra does an admirable job on these diverse works (it deserves a lot of credit here), but it'll be up to the listener to decide whether he or she wants to hear "Air on the G String" followed by Kennedy's version of "Danny Boy." As with most Kennedy discs, you'll either love it or hate it. --Jason Verlinde

    Customer Reviews:

    1 out of 5 stars CLAIM.......2007-01-11

    SOORY BUT WE DIDN'T RECEIVE THE PRODUCT YET, DESPITE WE PURCHASED ON NOV/10/2006.WATH'S HAPPENED ?

    4 out of 5 stars Romantic-Styled Playing.......2005-07-25

    I came to love classical music through classical crossover, but have dumped crossover after listening to artists like Perlman and Hahn. So was very apprehensive going back to a “crossover” artist.

    After a minute into his interpretation of Vivaldi’s third movement of Summer, I was hooked. Although Nigel may not play the pieces in a way that is considered “proper”, he brings his own style which is intense and highly emotional. The sound he can extract from his violin is engaging, and I always feel as if his violin is singing/crying to me. I’ve also heard several versions of “The Flight of the Bumble-Bee”, but this version just makes me giggle.

    The only weakness for me is the mixing of main stream classical music. Songs such as the traditional songs like Scarborough Fair (a great song) and the Joni Mitchell song seem out of place. Perhaps it was EMI’s goal to show Nigel’s approach to different styles of music, but "this mixing things up" personally doesn’t work for me.

    If you like the classical music on this CD, also pick up his Vivaldi CD’s which are fantastic. And if you like the traditional stuff, then get his “East to East” CD.

    5 out of 5 stars The beauty as it is.......2003-03-06

    On a scale of love-hate, I love this CD. No: I -L-O-V-E- it. That is a masterpiece in itself. I'm neither violinist nor classical musician, not even very experienced classical listener - though I enjoy "Der Ring des Nibelungen" much deeper than "Love Me Tender". What strikes me in Nigel's playing, and on this album particularly, is his incredible technical brilliance. When he plays a note it is always THE NOTE he's meant to play. Not a 1/16 tone mistake, not a 1/10 millimeter shift. Few singers are capable of such exactness, much less violin players. With a brush like this, you can paint whatever picture you want. And the pictures of Nigel's are just incredible. The deepest of his feelings are portrayed in his music with such a delicacy and balance, and with great confidence. On to titles: my personal faves are Brahms, Chopin, Bach, Satie and Kroll's. "Banjo and Fiddle" is so ironic and courteous, "Zigeunerweisen" is heartbreaking, "Nocturne in C Sharp minor" makes you breathless of its sweet sadness. "Hungarian Dance 5" swept all other versions away: compared to Kennedy's brave, sharp, masculine, fiery rendition, any other version seems like glucose syrup compared to juicy meat. "Air on the G String" is so airy and transparent. And "Czardas" is probably the best thing I've ever heard in my life...

    Flawless. Brilliant. Beautiful.

    5 out of 5 stars Clearly Kennedy.......2003-01-22

    I had only heard Kennedy one other time and knew that this would be good, as it is. I'm not new to classical music and can say that Kennedy's playing is clear and beautiful. I don't know why others have such a hard time with it, but if it's talented and artistic violin music that you're looking for then this is for you...

    2 out of 5 stars An Interesting Concept, A Failed Production.......2002-09-07

    A while back I had heard about a British violin soloist named Nigel Kennedy, who was working on transcribing songs by Jimi Hendrix for the violin. I had altogether forgotten his name until my friend lent me a copy of Kennedy's 1999 release 'Classical Kennedy', and when I saw the pictures of him with his Morrisey haircut, stubbly facial hair, and his leather jacket, I recognized this controversial figure, the so-called "Bad Boy" of classical music.

    'Classical Kennedy' is an exploration of the violin not as the solo voice of a gargantuan half-hour concerto but, rather, the lead voice in a three to five-minute song, and it explores this concept from Bach to Joni Mitchell. Right away this poses a serious undertaking- it is difficult to achieve continuity in a classical album that practically spans the history of Western art music. However, this conflict is partly resolved by the consistency of the tracks' lengths.

    Kennedy has a distinct sound, and his little "trick" is that he sometimes plays really hard and really fast. He occasionally draws an elegant and pure tone that listeners expect from a great soloist, but he also has the tendency to turn a beautiful phrase into a crude and apathetic statement. These days the idea of a violinist who isn't utterly predictable, and is willing to take liberties with the repertoire, is a pleasant muse, but Nigel Kennedy is certainly not the ideal solution.

    Kennedy's gimmick becomes his fatal flaw- in classical music, the notes speak for themselves. He makes Bach and Brahms sound hoarse and nasal. Ask any professional violinist and they'll tell you that, though there isn't one exact way to play any piece, there are limits on what one should do with a phrase, and that rule is implicit through understanding the composition. It's a hard truth to face, and perhaps only a trained musician fully understands this phenomenon. Either way, there needs to be an intimacy between the performer and the listener. All in all, Kennedy's technique caves in on itself. He plays as if taking great liberties at every turn were in itself a good thing. He cuts off a note that should sing, his sense of tempo is awkward at best- he seems to be driven by self-indulgent whims rather than musical passion.

    There are points in the album where I think that his approach does utter disservice to the piece. For example, his interpretation of Massenet's 'Meditations' simply does not compare to Itzhak Perlman's flawless, dramatic performance on 'A La Carte'. Kennedy's Chopin 'Nocturne in C#' (which really sounds better with just a piano) doesn't at all capture the emotion and power of Sarah Chang's performance on 'Sweet Sorrow'. I'm not saying that every single track on this album is a loser. But where he fails miserably in some regards is that his playing strays into avant-garde quirks, and it becomes somewhat ignorant to the music in the piece. Ivry Gitlis quoted in the DVD 'The Art of Violin' that 'of course it's an insult to music when somebody says 'that's the benchmark performance' or 'that's how it's supposed to be played''. But in a lot of classical works, the personality and individuality of the performer lay in the subtleties of the performance, not in urinating on the very things that made the piece wonderful and then hoping that the listener will somehow connect with it.

    Nigel Kennedy, from a technical standpoint, is a musician to be envied, but I am certainly not one of his defenders. I am a violinist, and I have a life-long love and respect for some of these compositions. When I see these works become so utterly removed from the things that made them great in the first place, I become disappointed and depressed- but not because 'Classic Kennedy' has somehow offended me. Rather, these days it seems that classical record labels, big-shot corporate management, and major symphony orchestras, seem to think that a soloist with a clever gimmick is a cure for a disease effecting a dying genre. But classical music has upheld itself through discipline, conservation, and passion. In a lot of the pieces on this album, Kennedy abandons those values, and unfortunately the result is music that is surprisingly un-musical.
    Patch Work
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		Patch Work
      James Kennedy
      Manufacturer: Heart Consort Music
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      Contemporary BluesContemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Blues | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | New Age | Styles | Music
      Folk RockFolk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
      Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
      ASIN: B000BH4CVK
      Release Date: 2005-09-27

      Tracks:

      1. Wild Bill
      2. Daddy Likes To Dance
      3. Motown
      4. Cruella
      5. Here's My Heart
      6. Charlie
      7. Old Movies
      8. Road
      Quartet No. 1
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        		Quartet No. 1

        Manufacturer: Mike Kennedy
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

        GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
        Traditional Jazz GeneralTraditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music
        ASIN: B000CADRNU
        Release Date: 2003-04-22
        Rock N Roll Heart
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          		Rock N Roll Heart

          Manufacturer: Heart Consort Music
          ProductGroup: Music
          Binding: Audio CD

          GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
          Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
          GeneralGeneral | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
          GeneralGeneral | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
          ASIN: B00006XLLW
          Release Date: 2002-09-23

          Tracks:

          1. Victory & Honor
          2. Michael's Back Door
          3. Save Your Heart
          4. Believable
          5. Circle
          6. Same Old Story

          Album Description

          Classic Rock straight from the heart! Guitars, bass, drums, and for the first time on HCM, Vocals!
          Bits N Pieces
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            		Bits N Pieces
            James Kennedy
            Manufacturer: Heart Consort Music
            ProductGroup: Music
            Binding: Audio CD

            GeneralGeneral | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
            GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
            GeneralGeneral | New Age | Styles | Music
            Folk RockFolk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
            GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
            GeneralGeneral | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
            GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music
            GeneralGeneral | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
            ASIN: B00005R199
            Release Date: 2001-04-24

            Tracks:

            1. Morocco
            2. That African Song
            3. Ancient Warriors
            4. Time Will Tell
            5. Through Your Eyes
            6. Nite Opener

            Album Description

            Guitars, Bass, and Percussion in live recordings. Combine classic rock, jazz, world music, stir, and see what happens. Zesty! Up for a Grammy in the "Contemporary Jazz" category.
            The Man Behind The Curtain
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              		The Man Behind The Curtain
              James Kennedy
              Manufacturer: Heart Consort Music-BMI
              ProductGroup: Music
              Binding: Audio CD

              Contemporary BluesContemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music
              GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
              GeneralGeneral | New Age | Styles | Music
              Folk RockFolk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
              GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
              Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
              GeneralGeneral | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
              GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music
              GeneralGeneral | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
              ASIN: B00067W3IE
              Release Date: 2004-09-21

              Tracks:

              1. Terra Cotta
              2. Dave's Not Here
              3. Turn Around
              4. Cafalk
              5. Raw Deal
              6. Bare Bones
              7. Just Close Your Eyes
              8. Silhouette In Time

              Album Description

              A follow up to his last two award-winning CDs, James offers a tasteful mix of rock, jazz and latin, plus gives listeners a treat with his "bottleneck" blues. Who *is* The Man Behind The Curtain?
              Vagabond
              Average customer rating: Not rated
                		Vagabond
                James Kennedy
                Manufacturer: Heart Consort Music
                ProductGroup: Music
                Binding: Audio CD

                GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
                GeneralGeneral | New Age | Styles | Music
                Folk RockFolk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
                GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
                Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
                GeneralGeneral | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
                GeneralGeneral | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
                ASIN: B0000DZBV3
                Release Date: 2003-09-26

                Tracks:

                1. Time Walker
                2. Long Lost Love
                3. Shall We Dance
                4. Crossing The Rio
                5. Dance the Night Away
                6. Brazil Bound
                7. Call Out My Name
                8. Urban Shadows

                Album Description

                This release combines favorite elements of James Kennedy's past CDs. Classic Rock, Jazzy Swing, a Bossa Nova and a few surprises. Take a trip with "Vagabond"...

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