Nicola Benedetti Plays Mendelssohn

[viper2473]

They must of skyped the orchestra into the studio.

[leethecam]

Alas... this wasn't a jam session at her house (sorry, wmg1958 but nice try...) I was the Director of Photography for this music video and it was a rather expensive and luxurious house we rented in central London.

Filmed in a day with a tiny crew. Nicola was a dream to work with and quite beautiful. (She ended up with a bruise on her neck with all the playing and we had to be careful not to show it as it looked like a giant love bite...!)

LEE

[ChocolateFrogPrince]

@leethecam But Oh! To be the one to provide the affectionate gnashers.....

[dfwboi6]

i did whole class prodgect on her

[ChocolateFrogPrince]

@dfwboi6 project

[violinchick25]

sounds great but what's up with the random living-room setting when there's obviously an orchestra accompanying her?

[wmg1958]

@violinchick25 This was a jam session at her house on a Friday night. She just got back from a nice dinner with Mum and Dad, which is why she's so dressed up. The orchestra was in the kitchen and dining room, and a few members were on the sofa or cushions on the floor. It was a good night!

[Jammsbro1]

I barely heard a note i was so mesmerised by Nicola in that dress.

[assa123assa123]

sounds like a Stern copy

[pawspaxx]

I saw her perform this today :)  Was fantastic

[Uberloinvongenchler]

Hilary Hahn is great too - @ galexwong: don't be so dogmatic - appreciate different interpretations rather than try and put them in a hierarchy. Wouldn't it be really dull if everyone played everything exactly the same?

[ChocolateFrogPrince]

@Uberloinvongenchler To be fair, the comment was that the other player was also great, not that she was better or that Nicola's rendition was somehow inferior and therefore not worth listening to.

By offering a recommendation of a player I was introduced to someone I might not otherwise have heard. It does not lessen my appreciation of Benedetti, but it does broaden my horizons.

That's a constructive thing, don't you agree?

[Hardzdiamond]

somehow she manages to be present in every single note

[egonfmattos]

Very beautiful frasing!

[Violanerd6]

In my opinion, every violinist in the performing circuit has some unique aspect that helps them shine.

[DShadow911]

SHES REALLY PRETTY (most importantly)

[galexwong]

Hilary Hahn and Julia Fischer have much better techniques and interpretation.

[ChocolateFrogPrince]

Everyone's entitled to an opinion.

[Motilyok]

@galexwong I wouldn't be so sure in your place!

...And what is technique? Acrobatic?

Just for your information, technique is there to serve the Music and not to impress some old women by coffee...

[dg6da]

Hahn is outstanding, but Julia Fischer is just a very good, but not o top violinist.

[applejuice879]

she's good stop crying

[MarcusHolly]

Her technique is questionable and slightly sloppy.

[0PhantomPhan0]

Until you are a multi-award winning, internationally recognized violinist... I would refrain from making overly harsh comments like these... it makes you look like a jealous fool...

[ChocolateFrogPrince]

You know, I was going to respnd myself, then I read your comment and all I could think was "Well said, that man!"

[Motilyok]

@MarcusHolly You mean YOU definitely do it better, don't you?

Can you please prove that placing here YOUR own performance? I would highly appreciate it.

If not, than please don't make such comments any more, because you are not one who may judge this.

[Brahms777]

She is very good. But, her play is more round on the edges and she lacks a bit of wit and sturdiness in her style from my humble point of view. Guliano Carmignola and Hilary Hahn are more to my taste. But Nicola is very talented. cheers.

[tudoryka79]

great...so now we know what you like.Thanks

[DBJ06]

She is great and pretty,, what else,,

[xMaddiexox]

she is amazing, I love her playing. She makes the violin sound like it's singing

[MargeSimpson20]

She looks kind of like Demi Lovato.

[sijas]

oh, and personally i think this is one of the best versions of mendelssohn i've ever heard.

lacking a little of that "fire" that chang has, but i say i like this version as much as chang's (my fav version)

[MercifulMe]

That's a terribly jealous thing to say.

[themusicdr]

whoa some heated discussion here. i must say i saw her live at henly regatta 2yr ago (v. mae was there too) and benedetti was superb. v. mae has lost her way but this fab scottish (italian) lass is well on track at the moment.

of course (sadly) nowadays ppl are v superficial and ephemeral and so focus on the fact that shes a v good looking girl (could maybe do something about the nose) instead of her playing but essentially when you LISTEN to a CD the image is not there so you must (cont)

[themusicdr]

rely on ur ears and if theyre not happy then sorry i dont care how good u look cos i aint buying ur records. yes im a man so of course how she looks has a bearing. mutter knows this v well and that is why she wears the dresses she does but this does not lessen her standing as a superb soloist (IMO)

NB still has time to develop her style and technique as a soloist but i think she has a great future.

now talk about crass comercialisaiotn then the idiot david garrett is the prime candidate

[themusicdr]

just to clarify i retract something i said - the nose is not that big and yes she still is really quite stunning

and above all i love her playing

[misscladiee]

I came accross her on t.v :D

And i have to be honest i generally hate the sound of a violin. But when it is played so good like that is a nice change :D

shes very pretty

and OMG does anyone know where i could get a dress like that.

IT IS FABULOUS! =o

[nickyvio]

You obviously have not heard her live, she has an amazing sound, it takes more than looks and a sound engineer to survive in this business. one should always ask themselves, could they do it! One should also ask themselves, what do I really know about this girl and how hard she works. Jealousy is an affliction. Chill out, little knowledge is dangerous.

[WingsofDedalus]

You should heed your own advice. Perhaps with more exposure to different artists you will realize that her interpretation is not unique. Your proclamation that it takes more than looks and a sound engineer to survive in the music business is patently false. Vanessa Mae is a perfect example of that. Mediocre playing packaged with good looks, sexuality, and sound engineering. I am not jealous. If I asked myself "Could I do it?", the answer is "Yes I can". A lack of knowledge is dangerous indeed.

[Violinjunky]

Sorry guy, your argument does not hold water. Just sounds like a bitter hate rant on a wonderful new artist, who, by the way--DOES play beautifully despite whatever she looks like--playing as she does at her age, she has enormous potential and there is room my heart to wish her well and welcome her.

[WingsofDedalus]

Well then, try this experiment. Why don't you have someone play you 20 different recordings of the Mendelssohn without identifying them for you. I am sure that anyone could point out the distinctive sounds of Heifetz or Milstein. You would not however be able to pick out her rendition. This is because it isn't unique.

[OriginalMoonbeam]

Don't assume because you hear nothing unique here, other's don't...just because her music does not speak to you on a personal level it does not to others. I don't have to have a single favorite recording of this VC..I can appreciate and enjoy many of them, along with this one. I have worked in Nashville and there is ASTONISHING talent on every street corner, in every mall, ASTONISHING..so how would you make yourself stand apart as different ,if they were all equal?

[WingsofDedalus]

They aren't all equal. You just don't have taste.

[toosmallworld]

It's very hard to tell which violinist is better than which when they reach that level of playing. From there, I think it all depends on taste. And she's an amazing violinist! Are you even listening or looking at her technique? Or are you just assuming she's horrible because of her slightly above average looks?

[m1sternick]

anyone know where to find nicola playing hogmanay live with aly bain and phil cunningham. its been removed. Bring it back!

[lauraoakesmusic]

Ohhh yea!! - that is such a wonderful video!!!! anyone?? lol :D

[LiquidGold2]

She is fantastic.

[isym444]

I went to see her :-) hehe she's pretty cool but her stradivarius doesn't sound as well in a live performance. Does anybody know why that happens? It also sounds much much softer. Anyway, I love her playing and her lol *jokes anyway thx. :D

[WingsofDedalus]

The reason that she doesn't sound as good in the live performance is that recordings such as these are heavily modified by sound engineers. This is another case of commercialized classical music. The music industry has a habit of picking attractive, female players, who are "eye candy" so to speak. These players are able to play at a decent level but wouldn't be marketable without their looks. With heavy promotion and sound engineering, the industry attempts to sell us the product.

[WingsofDedalus]

In real life, the solo parts always sound softer than in a recording. This is because the sound engineer boosts the violin solo relative to the orchestra. Also, it is possible to redo sections over again for a recording. This is another example of why the modern classical music industry is failing. They promote mediocre artists packaged with good looks and sound engineering. Older artists such as Heifetz did not rely on sound engineering tricks and recorded a single attempt at a piece.

[OriginalMoonbeam]

It is because she IS playing on a Strad--which has a softer tone as opposed to a Del Gesu, which has a MUCH more powerful and carries further. Read a little information on the two violins and the tone. The Strad has a fabulous tone but not the carriage. Violins are the most difficult of all instruments to amplimfy properly--or to record properly and capture tone. It takes a considerable amount of experience on the part of the engineer and it can differ from violin to violin (cont)

[OriginalMoonbeam]

the acoustics in the building always affect the sound as they are as indivdual as each violin, each solist...so there are several variables. I think she is an excellent young soloist with amazing potential. It is a real shame that beauty actually goes against females in that people will insinuate they have reached their position because of their looks. This is utter hogwash, if someone wanted to just look at a pretty girl they would purchase a less expensive magazine-THE LADY HAS TALENT

[WingsofDedalus]

Hmm... so aesthetics has nothing to do with this. Oh I see! So that's why they show her putting on make up and a dress! What utter stupidity. Of course sex appeal is why she is getting recorded. There are women violinists who do not go through these sorts of gimmicks. Unfortunately, she neither has the talent or the dignity to be one of them.

[OriginalMoonbeam]

Few labels will bother to contract with an artist--much less promote them unless they feel they are extraordinary, it simply is not done anymore--not in the literary world nor in the recording industry. Most people who publish books pay for their own book signing tours! The very fact that she HAS this much promotion of a tremendous amount of faith in her and her ability. If the marketing executives did not fully and tastefully utilize her every asset they should be fired

[OriginalMoonbeam]

The list of talented artists who have "resorted" to such gimmicks is longer than this comment section allows--like Venegrov in his cheesy "Thais" video, Chee Yun seen putting on her makeup preparing for a performance, Janine Jansen's Four Season's cover CD photo, Sarah Chang's Carmen video, Mutter just being Mutter...even Ida Haendel was a slave to her fashions and false lashes and still is, GOD LOVE HER..and she was conflicted about the women and image thing herself, as she gave mixed messages.

[WingsofDedalus]

They will ahem "tastefully" utilize her every asset indeed. Your examples don't really help your case. Vengerov has ridiculous facial expressions and fake emotionality. Ida Haendel never made it big. Chee Yun doesn't play at a top level. Mutter is not hyper-sexualized and plays with dignity. Both Anne Sophie Mutter and Sarah Chang play at a top tier level. To compare Nicola Benedetti to those two is like apples and oranges.

[WingsofDedalus]

Ida Haendel is a perfect example of what I am talking about. She never made it big because she didn't have the looks. She stated that she might have been more famous had she been more photogenic. Anyhow, peace be with you. I'm allowed an opinion aren't I?

[BiffTheUnderstudy]

I agree so much with you...

People don't hear anything anymore it seems.

[WingsofDedalus]

My point is however that what they consider is not only playing ability, but marketability. A lot of this is sex appeal. They want eye candy and are willing to compromise on playing ability. A violinist like Ginette Neveu would never be recorded in today's music industry. She just is not the eye candy that they want. Let's be quite frank. When is the last time that you saw a not good looking, female violinist with a recording under the age of 40? In the past two decades, virtually none.

[OriginalMoonbeam]

Ayla Erduran--as recently as 2003,

Chee Yun is almost 40

Kyung Wha Chung

You wanted to compare her to Heifetz and Milstein...yet now not Mutter and Chang who are not on the level of Heifetz and Milstein...that does not even compute! So it's okay for Sarah Chang to exploit sexuality because she is at top tier? Did you see her Carmen video..why does that make it different? Why does Vengrov's presentation make it different? Your problem with THIS girl represents something more

[WingsofDedalus]

Meh. Nothing I say will convince you. But none of your indignation can change the fact that classical music is dying slowly. I think there are reasons why classical music has become stale. Among these reasons, I would include what I have just pointed out. Anyhow, you're right about my inconsistency about comparisons. But then again, she shouldn't be compared to any of those artists. Perhaps I stated that to show how ridiculous such a comparison would be. Take care.

[babyellx]

Ow many times you tellin people shes your cousin?

[violonistchris]

oh and don't anybody forget she is Natalies cousin ok that makes natalie a very special person because ..... you know she is her cousin

[Rockerboytom]

she came to my school!

[Dogaradodia]

Certified Intergalactic!

[libbyace]

I met her a couple of years ago, and she was really nice.

[Natalie94Eastment]

haha, she is...shes my cousin! x

[Natalie94Eastment]

hehe yh i will do xxx

[Natalie94Eastment]

this is my cousin!!! haha, no joke!!! xxxx

[ChocolateFrogPrince]

Really?

Tell her there's at least one hard to please theatre bastard in London who remains seriously impressed.

She plays exquisitly.

[callenishss]

the music is hard but has a distinct smoothness to it. very well done.

[Valian88]

wow

[ChocolateFrogPrince]

Exactly right. On so many levels.

[Natalie94Eastment]

she my cousin

[kehwa]

C'mon now. If I were you, I wouldn't pride my whole life on being Nicola Bendetti's cousin. Don't you want to be known for more than that?

[evansvitz]

I miss you Nicky... So much!

[ChocolateFrogPrince]

you know she's not dead.... Right?

[paddystomp]

Fantastic.

[CUNsTretcher]

no amount of make up will cover her nose. its a shame .

[fussbunnie]

So how are things at the shallow end?

[themuddyfoxx]

Moron

[YTiscrap]

A horrible things to say about a beautiful and sweet girl who plays wonderfully.

You are a cruel and sperficial idiot.

[gammergq]

It sad that we live in a society were some of us have to knock other humans to gain validation and make us feel better about ourselves sub consciously. She is a gorgeous girl from the outside and the inside, she must have ques of men in Glasgow clubs wanting to buy her drinks and she has something even more special than her striking voluptous good looks and that is a deep beauty a talent which helps set her appart from alot of the gorgeous girls out there.

[ChocolateFrogPrince]

She butters the parsnips of many in London as well.

Nicola Benedetti = YUM.

[atomicpoweredkillers]

she plays unbelievably well. thanx