Academy of St Martin in the Fields / Bell

Joshua Bell premiered the five-movement suite »The Elements« two years ago: »The idea for this unique project was born at the beginning of the pandemic«, says Bell. »The work consists of five independent pieces written by composers I greatly admire: Jake Heggie ('Fire'), Jennifer Higdon ('Air'), Edgar Meyer ('Water'), Jessie Montgomery ('Space') and Kevin Puts ('Earth')«. For his concert with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Joshua Bell begins with »Earth«, composed by Kevin Puts. »I find the music conveys a sense of stability, grounding and endurance, as might be appropriate to the element of earth«, describes the composer. »At the same time, however, the music also has a meditative, almost prayer-like quality – a kind of reverence for the planet Earth.«

Brahms' Violin Concerto
In addition to this contemporary work, Joshua Bell devotes himself to the romantic repertoire and plays Brahms' only violin concerto –, one of the defining works of its genre. The most frequently played cadenza is by Joseph Joachim, who provided Brahms with significant support during the composition. Numerous musicians later developed their own cadenzas, including Max Reger, Fritz Kreisler, George Enescu, Ferruccio Busoni – and also Joshua Bell, who presented his version at the Wiener Konzerthaus.

Schumann's Spring Symphony
The concert concludes with the Spring Symphony, which Robert Schumann composed within a few days in January –, carried, as he himself wrote, by »that urge of spring which carries people away into old age and overtakes them anew every year. !!!![ According to Schumann, the time of its composition had an audible effect on the shape of the work. Perfect music for a concert at the end of January: a musical promise of an early spring awakening.