Page 32 - BBC Music (January 2020)

Nicola Benedetti

Smiles all round:
Benedetti at the
2018 Festival of
Strings Day in Dundee

Russian focus:
Kirill Karabits
conducts Glazunov

From the recording studio
The best of Benedetti’s recent discs
have a lot on their plate. But in the future, the same time. In a couple of days I’m
Wynton Marsalis definitely. I will talk and talk about music going into the studio to record the Elgar
Violin Concerto; Fiddle Dance Suite
education to anyone who will listen.’ with Vladimir Jurowski and the London
Decca 485 0013 (2019)
The jazz trumpeter What about the small matter of Philharmonic [for Decca]. After that I
and composer’s finding funding for the foundation? ‘Yes,’ will start a recording project focusing on
expansive and eclectic says Benedetti. ‘We need it. Lots of it. solo violin repertoire, taking the listener
concerto was written Please! We are getting nothing from the through the history of the instrument.’
for Benedetti. She government. Of course we are doing all Her concert schedule for 2020 doesn’t
premieres it on disc the obvious things, like starting a friends’ look thin, either. In just May and June,
here with the Philadelphia Orchestra scheme, but we need a mass of donations, for instance, she will cross the Atlantic
and Cristian Ma˘celaru. large or small. We have been insanely over- four times to play four different concertos
Arlene Sierra ambitious in our first year, and it will cost (including the one written for her by the
Butterflies, Remember a Mountain a huge amount to pay for all we want to do. jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis) in cities
Bridge BRIDGE9506 (2018) Especially as we are hiring only the very ranging from Berlin to San Francisco.
Benedetti joins cellist Leonard best people.’ Luckily, as her stupendous recent
Elschenbroich and pianist Alexei
Is she paying for any of it herself? ‘I’m performances of the Elgar Concerto have
Grynyuk for the American composer’s
second piano trio, described by The not in a position to put in much money,’ shown, her technique is in excellent shape
Times as ‘a small wonder’. she says. ‘But if the amount of time I and her stamina seems limitless. Nor
am devoting to the foundation and the does she show any signs of the mental or
Shostakovich & Glazunov
Violin Concertos workshops is worth anything, I have emotional burnout that sometimes afflicts
Decca 478 8758 (2016) already donated a small fortune.’ former child prodigies in their thirties.
This powerful disc journeys from late I realise at this point in our conversation Nevertheless, Benedetti admits she will
Romantic Russia to the 1940s Soviet that we have been talking for nearly need to be careful about over-stretching
Union, with Kirill Karabits conducting an hour and not yet got round to what herself in future. ‘I will have to be very
the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Benedetti is famous for: playing the strategic about what I do, where I do it,

Homecoming: A Scottish Fantasy violin, virtuosically, passionately and and when,’ she says. ‘The fact is that I have
Decca 478 6690 (2014) intelligently. Have the ever-expanding had to invest an unbelievable amount
Benedetti paints a picture of Scotland’s ambitions of the foundation taken over of myself, my time and my energy in the
musical landscape. She’s joined her life to such an extent that the classical foundation. I don’t think anyone had any
by folk singer Julie Fowlis for traditional music world is in danger of losing one of its idea of how all-consuming it would be. I
song, and the BBC most inspiring soloists? certainly didn’t until I started doing it.’
Scottish Symphony
Benedetti laughs. ‘Well, in the past Still, she seems determined to keep both
Orchestra for Bruch’s
Scottish Fantasy. month I have performed – let’s see if I can the day job and the night job spinning in
remember them all – the Tchaikovsky, merry tandem – even if it means drinking
The Silver Violin
Shostakovich, Bruch, Elgar and Sibelius buckets of espresso each morning. ‘Yes,
Decca 478 3529 (2012)
Korngold’s lush Violin Concerto is at the concertos. I don’t think I’m disappearing this is what my next few years will look
heart of a programme of film classics, from the concert hall. By anyone’s like,’ she laughs. ‘The foundation will be
from Shostakovich’s The Gadfly to the standards that is a crazy number of one more component in what is already
GETTY theme for Schindler’s List. different concertos to have on the go at a colourful and complex life.’

34 BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE