CD REVIEW
– NICOLA
BENEDETTI
BAROQUE
Decca 4851891
[52’26]
'
It was not my
intention to review this album
here but then I read what Nicola
Benedetti had written in her
introductory notes, that
"Many find it (the Italian
baroque) light fare: too
populist, repetitive and
predictable." So maybe,
putting these descriptions aside,
it will appeal to our reader.
Scottish-born with
Italian parentage, Nicola has a
big following as one of our
leading violinists with a CBE,
"For services to
music", as well as a Grammy
award. Her Benedetti Foundation
aims to showcase what music
education at its best can look
and sound like.
This album is her
first period performance release,
gut strings et al, which her
recording company is very excited
about. She does not play with a
full band but is joined by her
own recently formed Benedetti
Baroque Orchestra comprising four
violins, two each violas and
cellos, double base, lute and
harpsichord – all freelance
specialist baroque players.
She has chosen
four of the over 500 concerti
written by Antonio (Four Seasons)
Vivaldi (1678-1741). The album
opens with a
knock-'em-in-the-aisles version
of that era's great violinist
Francesco Geminiani's (1687-1762)
Concerto grosso 'La Folia',
a reworking of his teacher
Arcangelo Corelli's (1653-1713) Violin
Sonata, one of the oldest
western classical themes.
The playing
throughout, led by the superb
Nicola – on a £6.3 million
Gariel Stradivarius (1717) –
sounds full-bodied rather than
light, 'though the music is
undoubtably tuneful and bright;
so much so I would have liked
quite a lot more than under an
hour from a premium priced disc.
My verdict, then,
is that the album is a lively
listening experience, as
undemanding as you want it to be,
that need not frighten the light
music enthusiast considering
adding it to their collection.
You can get a 10% discount for a
first order, plus postage, from
the Decca Records Shop online.
© Peter
Burt 2021
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