Given the tremendous success of American violinist Joshua Bell, it's only natural that players across the Atlantic would want a piece of the action with...

Given the tremendous success of American violinist Joshua Bell, it's only natural that players across the Atlantic would want a piece of the action with similar re-creations of the semi-popular violin recitals of a century ago. British violinist Charlie Siem both achieves the requisite fireworks and somewhat reinterprets the classic formula in this pleasing collection, named for a popular song (actually called Underneath the Stars) once arranged by Fritz Kreisler. The version here is by Josef Pasternack, but Kreisler is one of the chief models for what Siem is doing here. Another is his teacher, Shlomo Mintz. Siem is a bit lacking in the sheer emotion that Kreisler (and Bell) bring to a piece like Kreisler's own La Gitana (track 8), but in more athletic pieces like the Carmen Fantasy by the underrated Jenö Hubay (track 5), and the Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 4 (arranged by Marco Jovic), he's sensational. One extra attraction here is a group of more-or-less forgotten works that Siem has resurrected; in addition to the Hubay there's Ole Bull's Saeterjentens Søndag (Solitude on the Mountain, track 2), and Elgar's exuberantly sentimental Salut d'amour, Op. 12. Another is a compositional contribution by Siem himself, Canopy (as a "bonus" track 13). It was recorded separately from the other tracks and stands apart from them artisically, but it stands about halfway between Kreisler and Philip Glass, and it's a new direction in violin virtuoso music. An enjoyable outing from a young virtuoso to watch, with suitably understated support from the Munich Radio Orchestra under Paul Goodwin.

– James Manheim, All Music Guide