By 1997 when this CD was released, Joshua Bell was past his teen phenom phase and rapidly maturing into a considerable artist. Here at Amazon the discussion has centered on his acocunt of the Barber concerto, but I was even more impressed by both other pieces. Bloch's Baal Shem Tov (Named for the founder of the mystical sect of Hassidic Judaism) started out as a suite for solo violin and piano, and the composer's orchestration is nothing much. But the central slow movement is a gorgeous tune, and Bell plays it with aastonishing refinement and tonal beauty.

I am in sympathy with one reviewer of the original CD before it was remastered who complains about Decca's frequent inability to capture Bell's beauty of tone, which is one of his trademarks. He is incapable of an ugly note--just listen to how he plays the skipping triplets in the Moto perpetuo finale of the Barber. They zip by, but each tone is centered, perfectly struck, and lovely. In truth, the recorded sound here is miles ahead of the thin, screechy sound he got in his earliest recordings with Dohnanyi, some of which are painful even in their recent remastering.

Compared to other versions of the Barber, particularly the classic one from Isaac Stern with Bernstein on Sony, Bell and Zinman ae almost as vigorous rhythmically and never lacking in intensity. One can feel in this work that the composer is wading through caramel, and Bell's ultra-sensitive phrasing could be to much of a good thing. Here it isn't, and Zinman's robust, even rough way with the accompaniment also helps.

I usually have no interest in the music of William Walton, and even among his devotees the Violin Concerto takes second or third place behind the famous Viola Concerto. Yet it's perfect for Bell, who plays with such compelling lyricism that the relatively weak sections still hold one's attention. None of these works are first rate all the way thorugh, and his magic applies to all three, especially whenever there is a long, lyrical line. In sum, if I were to point a new listener to Bell's artistry, I'd choose this CD.