Classical Music: Violin Café Nicola Benedetti

Violin Café: Nicola Benedetti

Henryk Wieniawski: Polonaise de Concert Opus 4 (arr. Stephen Goss); Maria Theresia von Paradis: Sicilienne (arr. Juliette Pochin & James Morgan); Peter Maxwell Davis: Farewell to Stromness (arr. Paul Campbell); Pablo de Sarasate: Carmen Fantasy Opus 25 (arr. Stephen Goss); Ernest Bloch: Prayer From Jewish Life: I (arr. Simon Parkin);Trad: Skye Boat song (arr. Brìghde Chaimbeul); Trad: A' Choille Ghruamach (arr. Brìghde Chaimbeul); Trad: Hacky Honey Reel (arr. Brìghde Chaimbeul); Manuel Ponce: Estrellita (arr. Paul Campbell); Pablo de Sarasate: Navarra Opus 33 (arr. Stephen Goss); Claude Debussy: Beau Soir (arr. Simon Parkin);

Nicola Benedetti joined by Samuele Telari, Plínio Fernandes, Thomas Carroll, Henryk Wieniawski

Decca 4871577
https://www.deccaclassics.com/en/artists/nicola-benedetti

Choose your favourite café, order a latte or cappuccino—but not an espresso, as you'll want to settle into a corner for rather longer than usual—grab one of those delicious cinnamon buns, pop in your earphones, and prepare for something rather special.

Nicola Benedetti's new album, Violin Café, brings together music representing different strands of her life and career, from virtuosic showpieces to French romances, contemporary favourites, and Scottish folk. The violinist, fast becoming a national treasure, has created an album of bite-sized delights, freshly arranged for an inventive new ensemble: violin, guitar, accordion, cello and smallpipes. This communal, conversational sound—evening café-appropriate, if you will—offers flexibility to work across genres, cultures, and performance environments.

Benedetti reunites here with audiences who have supported her for over 22 years, a thank-you to people of all ages from around the world who share her deep love of classical music and the violin. Joining her are Samuele Telari (accordion), Plínio Fernandes (guitar), Thomas Carroll (cello), Yume Fujise (violin), and Brìghde Chaimbeul (small pipes)—a line-up that proves as satisfying as the promise of that cinnamon bun.

Opening with Wieniawski's Polonaise de concert in D major, Benedetti takes us on a journey where there's plenty to admire. The salon pieces are romantic and deeply enjoyable – indeed, all the arrangements are lovely, and it's refreshing to encounter an album that can be savoured rather than simply endured through full-blooded concertos and weighty repertoire staples.

The virtuosic moments dazzle: Sarasate's Carmen Fantasy brims with technical brilliance and rhythmic energy, with wonderful dynamics in the Lento assai. Superbly accompanied by accordion, Benedetti pulls the listener into the recording with a warm violin tone and delicious phrasing. The richness of Carroll's cello adds much to the textures, whereas the excitement of the denouement showcases her technical agility.

Don't let your coffee go cold in awe, though.

With a nod to her Scottish heritage, Maxwell Davies's Farewell to Stromness proves atmospheric, the instrumentation capturing the spirit of the piece perfectly. The expressive sensitivity of the Skye Boat Song creates an aura of beauty, whilst the bagpipes in the haunting A'Choile Ghruamach bring further warmth before leading into the Hacky Honey Reel. Benedetti ends with a gorgeous performance of Debussy's Beau Soir, sending you back out into the world, fully refreshed, calm, and peaceful.

A menu to linger over, then – and one that leaves you thoroughly satisfied.