Tuesday,
January 15, 2008
Acclaimed for Beauty, Violinist Nicola
Benedetti Has Talent and Depth to be Taken Seriously.
The
ANNOTICO Report
A
remarkable prodigy, Benedetti was named the BBC's Young Musician of the Year at
16. Still, it wasn't talent alone that then enticed Deutsche Grammophon to offer her what has been reported to be the
label's best deal in 25 years -- six recordings, and $2 million. By comparison,
Esa-Pekka Salonen's
contract with DG is for peanuts.
Happily, success and fame (thus far mostly in
Not Just Another
Pretty Prodigy
Acclaimed
for her beauty, violinist Nicola Benedetti has the talent and depth to be taken
seriously.
Los
Angeles Times
By
Mark Swed,
January 15, 2008
No
doubt with some justification, Nicola Benedetti, a violinist of 20 from
Scotland who performed a recital at Pepperdine
University on Sunday afternoon, has complained in the British press about reviewers
who focus more on her beauty than on her music-making. She can hardly be
surprised, though.
A remarkable prodigy, Benedetti was named the BBC's Young Musician of the Year
at 16. Still, it wasn't talent alone that then enticed Deutsche Grammophon to offer her what has been reported to be the
label's best deal in 25 years -- six recordings, a free say in repertory and
something in the neighborhood of $2 million. By comparison, Esa-Pekka
Salonen's contract with DG is for peanuts.
Happily, success and fame (thus far mostly in
Her first appearance in these parts, Sunday,..was
in
Despite all this, Benedetti coped graciously. Her program was not trivial. She
began with the famous Chaconne from Bach's D-minor Partita for solo violin,
followed by Brahms' Third Violin Sonata.
The second half was French, devoted to Ravel and Saint-Sakns.
She plays a fine instrument, a 1712 Stradivarius. She has a sumptuous tone.
She digs into a phrase with plenty of intensity
and clearly enjoys showing off her technique, but she never crosses the line
to showiness.
An admirable violinist, ...She enjoys grand moments
the most, and her Brahms was rhapsodic and lusty....
The French music suited Benedetti best.... In Ravel's Sonata in G, she was smooth
and elegant and comfortable with the jazz elements. Although never exactly
flirtatious, she brought elegance to Saint-Sakns'
"Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso" and flair to Ravel's "Tzigane."...
Benedetti is a developing artist. Her technique is not flawless, and she had
some moments when her intonation slipped. But she is doing a lot right. James
MacMillan and John Tavener have begun writing for
her, and her next recording, to be released shortly,
will include a new Tavener concerto.
Meanwhile, the world of glamour beckons for this young musician who could
probably find far greater fame and fortune in fashion than in classical music.
Benedetti deserves credit for tenaciously sticking to her art...she's certainly
earned the right to be taken seriously....
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