Classic Kennedy

Music's trendiest fiddler in casual mode, sometimes cheeky, sometimes serene, and with a composition of his own thrown in for good measure

Record and Artist Details

Composer or Director: William Kroll, Mitchell, Antonio Vivaldi, Traditional, Vittorio Monti, Johann Sebastian Bach, Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, George Frideric Handel, Erik Satie, George Gershwin, Johannes Brahms, Claude Debussy, Fryderyk Chopin, Charles-François Gounod, Pablo (Martín Melatón) Sarasate (y Navascuéz), Kennedy, Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov

Label: EMI

Media Format: Mini Disc

Media Runtime: 0

Mastering:

DDD

Catalogue Number: MD5 56890-8

Tracks:

Composition Artist Credit
(12) Concerti for Violin and Strings, '(Il) cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione' Antonio Vivaldi, Composer
Antonio Vivaldi, Composer
Thaïs, Movement: Méditation Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Scarborough Fair Traditional, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Traditional, Composer
(21) Hungarian Dances, Movement: G minor (orch Schmeling) Johannes Brahms, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Johannes Brahms, Composer
Nocturnes, Movement: No. 20 in C sharp minor, Op. posth Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
(3) Gymnopédies, Movement: No. 1, Lent et douloureux Erik Satie, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Erik Satie, Composer
(3) Gymnopédies, Movement: No. 2, Lent et triste Erik Satie, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Erik Satie, Composer
(3) Preludes, Movement: No. 1 in B flat George Gershwin, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
George Gershwin, Composer
(3) Preludes, Movement: No. 2 in C sharp minor George Gershwin, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
George Gershwin, Composer
(4) Orchestral Suites, Movement: No. 3 in D, BWV1068 (2 oboes, 3 trumpets, strings Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer
Danny Boy Traditional, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Traditional, Composer
Csárdás Vittorio Monti, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Vittorio Monti, Composer
Solomon, Movement: ~ George Frideric Handel, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
George Frideric Handel, Composer
Ave Maria Charles-François Gounod, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
Charles-François Gounod, Composer
English Chamber Orchestra
(24) Préludes, Movement: La fille aux cheveux de lin Claude Debussy, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
Claude Debussy, Composer
English Chamber Orchestra
(The) Tale of Tsar Saltan, Movement: Flight of the bumble-bee Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, Composer
Banjo and Fiddle William Kroll, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
William Kroll, Composer
Zigeunerweisen Pablo (Martín Melatón) Sarasate (y Navascuéz), Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Pablo (Martín Melatón) Sarasate (y Navascuéz), Composer
Going for a song Mitchell, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
Mitchell, Composer
English Chamber Orchestra
Melody in the wind Kennedy, Composer
Kennedy, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra

Composer or Director: William Kroll, Mitchell, Antonio Vivaldi, Traditional, Vittorio Monti, Johann Sebastian Bach, Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, George Frideric Handel, Erik Satie, George Gershwin, Johannes Brahms, Claude Debussy, Fryderyk Chopin, Charles-François Gounod, Pablo (Martín Melatón) Sarasate (y Navascuéz), Kennedy, Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov

Label: EMI

Media Format: Cassette

Media Runtime: 0

Mastering:

DDD

Catalogue Number: EL5 56890-4

Tracks:

Composition Artist Credit
(12) Concerti for Violin and Strings, '(Il) cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione' Antonio Vivaldi, Composer
Antonio Vivaldi, Composer
Thaïs, Movement: Méditation Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Scarborough Fair Traditional, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Traditional, Composer
(21) Hungarian Dances, Movement: G minor (orch Schmeling) Johannes Brahms, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Johannes Brahms, Composer
Nocturnes, Movement: No. 20 in C sharp minor, Op. posth Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
(3) Gymnopédies, Movement: No. 1, Lent et douloureux Erik Satie, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Erik Satie, Composer
(3) Gymnopédies, Movement: No. 2, Lent et triste Erik Satie, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Erik Satie, Composer
(3) Preludes, Movement: No. 1 in B flat George Gershwin, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
George Gershwin, Composer
(3) Preludes, Movement: No. 2 in C sharp minor George Gershwin, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
George Gershwin, Composer
(4) Orchestral Suites, Movement: No. 3 in D, BWV1068 (2 oboes, 3 trumpets, strings Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer
Danny Boy Traditional, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Traditional, Composer
Csárdás Vittorio Monti, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Vittorio Monti, Composer
Solomon, Movement: ~ George Frideric Handel, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
George Frideric Handel, Composer
Ave Maria Charles-François Gounod, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
Charles-François Gounod, Composer
English Chamber Orchestra
(24) Préludes, Movement: La fille aux cheveux de lin Claude Debussy, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
Claude Debussy, Composer
English Chamber Orchestra
(The) Tale of Tsar Saltan, Movement: Flight of the bumble-bee Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, Composer
Banjo and Fiddle William Kroll, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
William Kroll, Composer
Zigeunerweisen Pablo (Martín Melatón) Sarasate (y Navascuéz), Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Pablo (Martín Melatón) Sarasate (y Navascuéz), Composer
Going for a song Mitchell, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
Mitchell, Composer
English Chamber Orchestra
Melody in the wind Kennedy, Composer
Kennedy, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra

Composer or Director: William Kroll, Mitchell, Antonio Vivaldi, Traditional, Vittorio Monti, Johann Sebastian Bach, Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, George Frideric Handel, Erik Satie, George Gershwin, Johannes Brahms, Claude Debussy, Fryderyk Chopin, Charles-François Gounod, Pablo (Martín Melatón) Sarasate (y Navascuéz), Kennedy, Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov

Label: EMI

Media Format: CD or Download

Media Runtime: 79

Mastering:

DDD

Catalogue Number: 556890-2

Tracks:

Composition Artist Credit
(12) Concerti for Violin and Strings, '(Il) cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione' Antonio Vivaldi, Composer
Antonio Vivaldi, Composer
Thaïs, Movement: Méditation Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Scarborough Fair Traditional, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Traditional, Composer
(21) Hungarian Dances, Movement: G minor (orch Schmeling) Johannes Brahms, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Johannes Brahms, Composer
Nocturnes, Movement: No. 20 in C sharp minor, Op. posth Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
(3) Gymnopédies, Movement: No. 1, Lent et douloureux Erik Satie, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Erik Satie, Composer
(3) Gymnopédies, Movement: No. 2, Lent et triste Erik Satie, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Erik Satie, Composer
(3) Preludes, Movement: No. 1 in B flat George Gershwin, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
George Gershwin, Composer
(3) Preludes, Movement: No. 2 in C sharp minor George Gershwin, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
George Gershwin, Composer
(4) Orchestral Suites, Movement: No. 3 in D, BWV1068 (2 oboes, 3 trumpets, strings Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer
Danny Boy Traditional, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Traditional, Composer
Csárdás Vittorio Monti, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Vittorio Monti, Composer
Solomon, Movement: ~ George Frideric Handel, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
George Frideric Handel, Composer
Ave Maria Charles-François Gounod, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
Charles-François Gounod, Composer
English Chamber Orchestra
(24) Préludes, Movement: La fille aux cheveux de lin Claude Debussy, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
Claude Debussy, Composer
English Chamber Orchestra
(The) Tale of Tsar Saltan, Movement: Flight of the bumble-bee Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, Composer
Banjo and Fiddle William Kroll, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
William Kroll, Composer
Zigeunerweisen Pablo (Martín Melatón) Sarasate (y Navascuéz), Composer
Kennedy, Violin
English Chamber Orchestra
Pablo (Martín Melatón) Sarasate (y Navascuéz), Composer
Going for a song Mitchell, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
Mitchell, Composer
English Chamber Orchestra
Melody in the wind Kennedy, Composer
Kennedy, Violin
Kennedy, Composer
English Chamber Orchestra
Kennedy is a people's violinist to contrast with say, Heifetz, or Kreisler or David Oistrakh, all of whom were 'violinists' violinists', subtle practitioners of the bow who spent aeons perfecting the tiniest inflexional gesture. Kennedy's Danny Boy is unruffled and fresh-faced; Kreisler's (known as the Londonderry Air) carries with it a lifetime's worth of smiling and sighing. When Heifetz plays Zigeunerweisen or a Gershwin Prelude, he crafts every phrase with maximum expressive intensity; Kennedy is both gipsy and jazzer, freely improvisational (or so it seems), casual and cheeky.
Bach's 'Air' is heavily embellished and Monti's once-ubiquitous Csardas employs a cimbalon (Kennedy imaginatively defies tradition by playing the weepy central section pianissimo). The Satie pieces are appropriately 'cool', the Bach/Gounod rather sickly-sweet and Debussy's 'Girl with the flaxen hair', warm and yielding. Faster pieces like Brahms's Fifth Hungarian Dance, Rimsky-Korsakov's Bumble-bee, Kroll's Banjo and Fiddle and the closing 'friss' of Zigeunerweisen are more lustily energetic than especially light or agile.
Viewed overall, 'Classic Kennedy' is more a designer musical backdrop than a virtuoso fiddle recital in the traditional sense, as Scarborough Fair, Urge for Going and Kennedy's own Melody in the wind (all of them touched with 'big screen' resonances) tend to confirm.
Kennedy knows what he's doing and does it well (though that this sort of thing should be called 'Classic' tends to tell us where he's at), but for me the whole production is rather too wedded to the 'MOR', 'Easy Listening', Soft Jazz axis. I like my violin recitals to lunge for the jugular, seduce me with musicianship, finesse and passion rather than engulf me in smoochy arrangements - though, to be fair, some old fiddle-music broadcasts had plenty of those, too (especially in America). Handel's 'Arrival of the Queen of Sheba' marks the half-way point, but without any contribution from the soloist.'

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