The stunning and talented
Nicola Benedetti makes her debut before Phoenix audiences this weekend performing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor. A few months shy of her twentieth birthday, this attractive young star is taking audiences by storm – she was named the BBC’s Young Musician of the Year back in 2004 and has just been nominated as Young British Classical Performer by the
Classical Brit Awards. Check out
her website here where you can listen to sound clips and read up on her recent appearances, or you can also find numerous videos featuring her performances on
YouTube. There are clips of her performing the Mendelssohn as well as a number of other beautiful works with various orchestras. While YouTube is a great new way to get to know the music and check out guest artists ahead of time, there is no comparison to a live performance. Come to hear Nicola Benedetti and Mendelssohn, and then stay to hear The Phoenix Symphony perform Shostakovich’s spectacular Symphony No. 5. Don't have your tickets yet? You can get them
right here.
The stunning and talented Nicola Benedetti makes her debut before Phoenix audiences this weekend performing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor. A few months shy of her twentieth birthday, this attractive young star is taking audiences by storm – she was named the BBC’s Young Musician of the Year back in 2004 and has just been nominated as Young British Classical Performer by the Classical Brit Awards. Check out her website here where you can listen to sound clips and read up on her recent appearances, or you can also find numerous videos featuring her performances on YouTube. There are clips of her performing the Mendelssohn as well as a number of other beautiful works with various orchestras. While YouTube is a great new way to get to know the music and check out guest artists ahead of time, there is no comparison to a live performance. Come to hear Nicola Benedetti and Mendelssohn, and then stay to hear The Phoenix Symphony perform Shostakovich’s spectacular Symphony No. 5. Don't have your tickets yet? You can get them right here.
5 Comments:
i enjoyed her and the entire night.
It was one of my favorites so far this season.
Saturday Night @ The Symphony.
Bravo! Guest conductor Pietari Inkinen. Spitting image of Esa-Pekka Salonen, even his haircut with the jumping layers. No excess motion. Perfectly readable cues. We need to bring him back for more exposure in N. America.
Sonny’s “Team Fouls” issued: At least one first violinist violated Rule # 1 of orchestral violins of marking the bowing; everybody could see the En Saga “spiccato” going in the opposite direction from the rest of the section. One first violinist in the back of the section once again played louder than anybody else and held the last note in a phrase too long. Both shameful for a pro. Raise you hand. Accept the “personal foul” call and take corrective action for the betterment of our team.
Sonny’s “Pacemaker” moments: The Flute and (high) Horn duet near the end of the 1st movement of Shostakovich 5 had me in convulsions with tears rolling down my cheeks. The Timpani’s sonic and visual display, as well as the blatant honking by the Contrabassoon, in the 2nd movement almost made me “lol.” The conductor almost stopped the performance in the magical 3rd movement due to uncontrolled giggling by a challenged audience member. Ultimate Horn solo in the 4th movement was covered up by a beautiful mixed Cello choir. Based on the spectacularly loud Tam-Tam announcement and the huge and shimmering Cymbal crashes, this Finale was more of a “hopeful” victory for the Soviet composer and for us the listeners amidst the Recession.
The “Fashion Critic” took the week off… because the same guest concertmaster sat on the Throne.
What a wonderful performance by 20-year-old Nicola Benedetti and the entire orchestra, which did not drown out the soloist. Please bring her back another season. We enjoyed the young conductor, Pietari Inkinen, also. More pieces like the Mendelssohn, please. One of the best concerts this season.
En Saga was one of the worst pieces I have ever heard
To the "Worst" Anonymous Listener.
That was because you were not prepared to listen to the music. Obviously you had never heard it played LIVE before.
What you should have done, as a dedicated music-lover, was to get a recording of "En Saga" and listened to it a few times BEFORE the concert. Even our ultra-conservatice classical music station KBAQ plays "En Saga" frequently.
The always adventuresome and prepared Sonny purchased the entire set of Sibelius tone poems last year, as soon as the Phoenix Symphony announced the 2007-2008 season programs. Of course, that put me way ahead of the game. By the time Sibelius reappears on May 28, 2009 with his "Lemminkainen Legends," I would be thoroughly prepared to critique the orchestra's performance led by Maestro Christie.
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