Media Attention on Nicola Benedetti's Latest Album 'Baroque'

Nicola Benedetti’s new album ‘Baroque’ is out now on Decca Classics (Photo credit: Decca Classics)

Recently, the media has highlighted Nicola Benedetti’s newly released album ‘Baroque’. This album centers Italian baroque-era pieces, with a selection of a Vivaldi concerti, as well as Geminiani’s arrangement of Corelli’s “La Folia”.

Benedetti was the week’s Gramophone Magazine Podcast guest. Host Martin Cullingford elicits Benedetti’s thoughts on her projects as well what it feels like to return to live performance: “‘Very last minute… Last minute in a sense, but has been bubbling away in the background for years. Since I did my first tour with Andrea Marcon and Venice Baroque Orchestra, I’ve been wanting to make a recording of Italian baroque music.’” She continues: “‘It is a music that makes me lift out of any kind of mood I’m in, and into a better one. And that sounds so cliché, but I don’t necessarily feel that with every kind of music that I play, and I certainly don’t feel that every time I pick up my violin. With this type of music, in particular, its sense of movement and the upward motion that it, sort of, requires from you, physically. Also, emotionally and kind of psychologically, you’re having to look up and to create and to improvise with your sound all the time. That, I find, is just the most joyous, thrilling experience.’”

Rosie Pentreath of Classic FM states: “Her new recording, Baroque, on Decca Classics is something that’s just one part of her long-dreamt-of project bringing together a recording, special live performances (at Battersea Arts Centre where the album was recorded), and the Benedetti Foundation’s education work.”

Presto Classical’s Katherine Cooper remarked it is a unique addition to Benedetti’s discography: “[It is] the first album Benedetti has released on a period set-up including gut strings, and she is joined by a leading group of freelance baroque musicians, forming the Benedetti Baroque Orchestra for the very first time.”

Laurie Niles of Violinist.com highlights: "'This music is so deeply invigorating, energy-giving, freeing, grounding and moving,’ Benedetti said. ‘I have long dreamt of presenting a project which brings together a recording, live performance and our education work, and with Baroque we are finally achieving this.’" Niles also draws attention to the fact that Benedetti will be “featuring Geminiani’s La Folia in this month's Benedetti Foundation’s educational Baroque Virtual Sessions.”

To buy the newly released ‘Baroque’, click here.