Floridian: Classical File

Classical File

By JOHN FLEMING

BERNSTEIN: WEST SIDE STORY SUITE AND OTHER WORKS; JOSHUA BELL, VIOLIN; PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA, DAVID ZINMAN, CONDUCTOR (SONY CLASSICAL) -- The selling of Joshua Bell proceeds apace. There are about a dozen pictures of the hunky violinist in his new Bernstein CD. And why not? Surely a glamorous young classical musician should be marketed with the same panache as the latest pop fluff.

Fortunately, Bell can also play, and his virtuosic treatment of excerpts from a few of Bernstein's Broadway shows -- West Side Story, Candide, On the Town -- may even draw musical theater types to the composer-conductor's classical works, such as the Serenade concerto, also on the album. They'll hear more than a little West Side Story in the syncopated rhythms of the concerto.

Florida Orchestra fans will have special interest in West Side Story Suite, arranged for violin and orchestra by William D. Brohn, which Bell premiered here last December, Jahja Ling conducting. On the recording, made shortly after the Florida Orchestra concerts, he plays with the Philharmonia Orchestra of London, David Zinman conducting.

At 19 minutes, the CD track of the suite runs about a minute longer than it was in concert, and Bell's performance has the polished sleekness you would expect from the recording studio. He has amazing technique, of course, but he also brings daring expressive freedom to Bernstein's famous tunes, which are all here, from Maria to Somewhere to I Feel Pretty. Still, a certain spontaneity is lost on disc.

Then there's the lightweight nature of the suite, bitingly criticized by the New York Times as "treacly" in its review this month of Bell's high-profile performance of it in a Central Park concert by Bernstein's old orchestra, the New York Philharmonic. Ultimately, the work is destined for orchestra pops programs, and there's nothing wrong with that, though not just any violinist will be able to handle some of the tough passagework.

Filling out the CD are Brohn arrangements of Lonely Town and New York, New York and John Corigliano's arrangement of Make Our Garden Grow.

The Bernstein disc is the latest of Bell's crossover projects for Sony, ranging from Gershwin tunes to Corigliano's score to The Red Violin to a classical/bluegrass album. All these are harmless money makers, but it would be a shame if they kept this splendid violinist from digging into music that really challenged him. B

-- JOHN FLEMING, Times performing arts critic