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 Britain, where her photos are favorites of the newspapers and magazines) don't seem to have gone to her head. In Europe, she gets big gigs, but in America she has been honorably working her way up the ranks, gaining experience. Last spring, she was soloist with the Dayton Symphony. This year, she will make her debuts with the Colorado, Virginia and Phoenix symphonies. Her West Coast debut was a recital in La Jolla two years ago.

 

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,

Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
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 Britain, where her photos are favorites of the newspapers and magazines) don't seem to have gone to her head. In Europe, she gets big gigs, but in America she has been honorably working her way up the ranks, gaining exper ience. Last spring, she was soloist with the Dayton Symphony. This year, she will make her debuts with the Colorado, Virginia and Phoenix symphonies. Her West Coast debut was a recital in La Jolla two years ago.

Her first appearance in these parts, Sunday,..was in Malibu...on a flawless day, when the violinist's loveliness competed with nature's and a glorious sunset....


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....

 

 

 

The ANNOTICO Reports Can be Viewed (and are Archived) on:

Italia USA: http://www.ItaliaUSA.com [Formerly Italy at St Louis] (7 years)

Italia Mia: http://www.ItaliaMia.com (3 years)

Annotico Email: annotico@earthlink.net