Ladies in Lavender [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

Ladies in Lavender [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

by Joshua BellJoshua Bell

Overview

Violinist Joshua Bell headlines Nigel Hess's score for Ladies in Lavender, the charming tale of two British spinsters (Maggie Smith and Judi Dench) who discover a young Polish man (Daniel Bruhl) washed up by the seacliffs of their Cornwall home in the 1930s. Turns out that the man, who speaks only broken English, is actually a gifted violinist, and he goes on to make his mark as a performer in London in the film's climactic moments. Enter Hess and Bell, who take that central story element and run with it, producing some memorably expressive and tuneful music. The title track, in particular, has a bittersweet lyricism worthy of Ennio Morricone, and Hess's stirring "Fantasy for Violin" evokes the Romantic virtuoso tradition at its most dramatic. Violin showpieces such as Sarasate's "Introduction and Tarantella" and Paganini's "The Carnival of Venice," as well as Massenet's Thaïs "Méditation" and Debussy's "The Girl with the Flaxen Hair," add some genuine 19th-century flavor to the disc, all featuring Bell's stylish artistry, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and pianist Simon Mulligan. Still other tracks feature Hess himself chiming a delicate piano ("Olga," "Two Sisters") or the RPO in endearing musical scene-paintings ("Our Secret," "Potatoes"). Prior to this effort, Hess has been active primarily as a composer for TV, but Bell is no stranger to film work, with both John Corigliano's soundtrack for The Red Violin and James Horner's for Iris to his credit. Hess has said that hearing Bell perform his music was, "like stepping into a really expensive Rolls Royce." Indeed, their collaboration here is a true class act.

Product Details

Release Date: 04/26/2005
Label: Sony
UPC: 0827969268926
catalogNumber: 92689

Tracks

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Joshua Bell   Primary Artist,Violin,Soloist
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra   Performing Ensemble
Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields   Ensemble
Marcia Crayford   Leader
Simon Mulligan   Piano
Nigel Hess   Piano,Conductor
Michael Stern   Conductor

Technical Credits

Jules Massenet   Composer
Craig Leon   Arranger,Producer
Claude Debussy   Composer
Grace Row   Producer
Toby Wood   Engineer,Engineering
Marcia Crayford   Orchestra Leader
Charles Harbutt   Engineer
Traditional   Composer
Nigel Hess   Arranger,Composer,Producer,Liner Notes,Orchestration,Audio Production
Roger Watson   Soundtrack Supervisor
Grace Kristopher Row   Producer

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