CD Review | Butterfly Lovers (Sony Classical, 2023)

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Butterfly Lovers
Joshua Bell, violin; Singapore Chinese Orchestra, Tsung Yeh, conductor
Sony Classical, June 2023

The Butterfly Lovers is an ancient Chinese legend dating from about the 4th century AD. The story tells of an ill-fated love affair that concludes with the lovers joined together for eternity, as butterflies. Chen Gang and He Zhanhao wrote a violin concerto on this subject in 1958, based on Chinese folk songs using the Pentatonic scale, which immediately became a popular hit. The original version is written for soloist and orchestra, both playing Western instruments. In this new version, Joshua Bell is accompanied by an orchestra playing traditional Chinese instruments.

Bell sounds wonderful in the Butterfly Lovers and the other pieces on this CD, which includes Massenet’s “Méditation” from Thaïs, Saint-Saëns’s Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, and Sarasate’s “Zigeunerweisen”). His rich tone and unerring technique utilize lots of rubato and portamento. The one challenge on this album, though, is a matter of recording levels. Bell sounds far too prominently, to the point where one can’t really hear the orchestra well enough to appreciate the sound of the Chinese instruments. For a better idea of the sounds of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra, visit their website at sco.com.sq/en.

This page is also available in / Cette page est également disponible en: Francais (French)