by Katherine Cooper. People combine styles, but fairly often, that sits on a superficial level. Recorded with Christian Măcelaru and the Philadelphia Orchestra, Benedetti presents Marsalis’ Violin Concerto in D Major, a work that she says is a “path of discovery.” Benedetti also performs Marsalis’ Fiddle Dance Suite for solo violin on the album, which was previously featured on WFMT’s New Releases.Benedetti: The sooner you can get away from just worrying about, “Am I playing this next note in tune?” and “Am I playing this rhythm right?” — those things are of course hugely important, but don’t miss the larger things that you can analyze and approach through your relationship with your instrument. Wynton Marsalis: Violin Concerto & Fiddle Dance Suite with Nicola Benedetti and the Philadelphia Orchestra/ Cristian Măcelaru (Decca Classics) is released on 12 July Topics Classical music Written for and premiered by Nicola Benedetti in 2015, Wynton Marsalis’s four-movement Violin Concerto is the jazz legend’s first full-length composition for violin and orchestra, and draws on ragtime, blues and Scottish folk music as well as numerous twentieth-century concertos. He knows as much about classical music as I do.“So you then get to the core of what that person wants to tell you and what they think so you learn a lot that way.”“The third movement is very much traditional blues-orientated so it is very varied.”“All of our music commitments are big enough commitments as it is,” she added.At nine, she had already passed the eight grades of musical exams while attending the independent Wellington School in Ayr, and in September 1997 began to study at Surrey’s Yehudi Menuhin School.She first met the New Orleans-born trumpeter more than a decade ago at an Academy of Achievement summit, a non-profit event that gives young people an opportunity to meet notable individuals.“Wynton was one of a number of incredible musicians that day,” she said.
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Be as focused as you can on analyzing the music in front of you, not in a technical way but from a perspective of love, interest, and curiosity.Of course, that then leads you in many directions, because you hear distinct influences in colors, styles, harmonies, tones, and little idiosyncrasies in Wynton’s music. I always hesitate to say I think there should be more of this or that. Interview, Nicola Benedetti on Wynton Marsalis. He really knows a lot of different styles.THE Scots classical violinist, who is working with Wynton Marsalis, insists she is in no rush to marry long-term beau Leonard Elschenbroich.She added: “The style of the piece is actually quite classical in many ways. I bought him scores of every violin concerto that I could think of and sat down and said, “Look, this is how Brahms develops the drama here.” That was my technical offering, and his was of course speaking of styles, textures, orchestration, melodic and rhythmic material.But actually, our priority was what is most successful for any given audience when it comes to the genre of violin concertos? We worked together on it so much and I have never had that experience before.“There is too much to learn in the world.”She said: “I come to Scotland many times a year because I do a lot of performances there, so it is always wonderful for me to see my family and play for such a familiar crowd and in familiar concert halls.At eight, she became the leader of the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain.Nicola’s Scots tour dates also include Inverness Eden Court on Friday, Edinburgh Usher Hall (Saturday) and Aberdeen Music Hall (Sunday) before a penultimate date at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall on September 29.“We are very happy but we do not have to be married to show that we are happy.“My parents are just accepting of the fact that marriage is not a big priority for us at the moment.Nicola said: “It’s actually been eight years Leonard and I have been together.She said: “Wynton has finished writing the first version of it which we worked up this summer but since then he has rewritten much of the piece.“I have never composed anything and if anything it’s put me in a state of awe more than I was before of what composers do and how they do it.”“This is all Italian and fired and uplifting music.“He has always loved violin and fiddle music and there’s definitely an ode to Scottish music and American fiddle music as well.“He also is one of the greatest jazz musicians around. The nominations for the 62nd Grammy Awards are in, and classical virtuosos Nicola Benedetti, Wynton Marsalis and Yuja Wang have all received a well-earned nod. Benedetti: What I eventually settled on and decided to focus on was Wynton’s music. I knew a lot of his music any way, but he has recorded a lot of things. “Between now and the next full rehearsal, which will be in October, I have somehow in the middle of this tour to relearn from scratch the new piece he has written.Join thousands of others who have signed up for the Daily Record newsletter.“We play together all the time but it will be the first time we’ve played as a duo,” she said.“Of course it can have a lot of positives and negatives because you are being extremely honest with each other which means you are not holding back.“That never stops,” she said.