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| Perpetual Motion | 
 enlarge | Artists: Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Evelyn Glennie, Joshua Bell, Gary Hoffman, John [guitar] Williams, Domenico Scarlatti, Johann Sebastian Bach, Claude Debussy, Fryderyk Chopin, Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Johannes Brahms, Niccolo Paganini, Ludwig Van Beethoven
Label: Sony
Category: Music
List Price: $17.98
Buy New: $8.07
You Save: $9.91 (55%)
Buy New/Used from $4.79
Avg. Customer Rating:  (44 reviews)
Sales Rank: 8618
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 89610
UPC: 696998961029
EAN: 0696998961029
ASIN: B00005OSX6
Release Date: October 2, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Who'd believe it? Classical BANJO???? April 3, 2002
28 out of 29 found this review helpful
To be honest, I bought this CD to please a friend of mine who insisted that I listen to it. My gut feeling was that it was going to be a classical "Annoying Music" CD. (I love the "Annoying Music" CDs -- but classical "annoying music" can be absolutely grating!)Now, imagine my surprise when I heard absolutely impeccable performances of Scarlatti, Chopin, Bach and Beethoven -- played on a BANJO! Even more, imagine my surprise when I realized I had driven five exits past my turnoff while listening to this CD for the first time on my way home! Some of the really outstanding moments on this CD are the Scarlatti Sonata in C Major (K159), Debussy's "Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum", Chopin's "Etude in C-Sharp Minor" (which is a finger-breaker on the piano -- I cannot imagine it being played on a banjo, but he does it, and it works!), and Paganini's "Perpetuo Moto". The clarity of the playing -- both solo and ensemble -- is nothing short of astounding. Fleck makes the banjo sound like anything BUT a banjo -- the Scarlatti sounds like it's being played on a lute; the Tchaikovskii sounds like it's being played on mandolin -- and it's all uncannily musical! This CD is probably the biggest shocker I've heard in six years. I can't say this strongly enough: BUY THIS CD!
Structured and focused power... March 16, 2002
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
This work is dynamite, and in all likelihood will to continue to change the face of the genre for years to come. I've found the harmony to be more than soothing as the tones flow one to the next like water trickles in a stream. If you are looking for a lengthy and fulfilling circular up note, this is it. A real breaker.John
Exciting application of the banjo February 24, 2002
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
The experiment does indeed work. In some pieces, the banjo is the main instrument and in others it provides the backup. Sometimes it is replacing a piano (or more accurately, harpsichord, which Bella's tone emulates very well)... others, it is replacing a guitar... There were some minor variations to the pieces which even most classical music afficionados won't notice, or at least won't be offended by. But across the board the performances are excellent -- actually incredible. And not just the banjo performances. The violin pieces and classical guitar performances are notable standouts. The most exciting thing one notices is the uniqeness of the tone the banjo brings to these arrangements. It is reminiscent of a long lost instrument of ancient days, being played for kings, noblemen and priveleged clergy. Track 8, Bach's "Three-Part Invention No. 10", brings a smile as you listen to the guitar and banjo chase each other through a classical equivalent of dueling banjos. And track 20, a "bluegrass" version of the Paganini title track (Moto Perpetuo), is fun for a single listen, with the banjo staying mostly classical as the accompanying guitar mixes in bluegrass backup and fills. But this CD isn't about being "cute"... tracks 1 through 19 are solid, and I will listen to them many times.
It's a Classical Gas....so Roll Over Beethoven... February 19, 2002
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
There appear to be 3 Bela Flecks. One does new grass, one does fusion & now one does classical on the banjo.The curiosity factor is enough to listen at least once. Bela Fleck pays homage to all the masters& makes the banjo a classical instrument. Fleck surrounds himself w/different instrumental tyros (Bell, Glennie,Thile, Williams & my personal favorite Edgar Meyer). Fleck & Meyer co-produce. If you like the recent Appalachian Journey CD's you'll find a lot to enjoy here.Also check out Edgar Meyer's Uncommon Ritual. If you are looking for bluegrass,then buyer beware. If you are looking for something truly unique & very listenable then this is it.
 OH RATS! NICE TRY, NO CIGAR February 10, 2002
7 out of 23 found this review helpful
Let's get this out of the way first: I think Bela is a technically brilliant, extraordinarily innovative, inspiring musician who has never accepted conventional limits or technical boundaries, God bless him. Having said that, I also need to say that in any field, experimentation and constantly pushing the envelope, by their very nature, occasionally (for Bela) or frequently (for the rest of us) bring less-than-desirable results. Or even outright failure. No problem -- you learn a lot from that. But in my opinion, this collection is an experiment that clearly indicates the banjo has its limitations as a classical instrument. The extraordinary technical achievement of Bela's fingering of these pieces is the reason I've given it two stars. But the tone(s) of his instrument(s) and his inability to deliver the very necessary nuances of sound that many of these selections require, make this CD very disappointing to this listener, who loves classical music as much as I love other forms. It's always fun to hear the occasional classical piece performed at a concert, but it's an entirely different matter to hear an entire classical banjoCD, even one performed by Bela Fleck. This wasn't fun at all.
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