Nicola Benedetti plays Vaughan Williams & Tavener | John Tavener, Ralph Vaughan Williams, ...

Nicola Benedetti plays Vaughan Williams & Tavener | John Tavener, Ralph Vaughan Williams, ... | a good new tavener work and an excellent version of the lark ascending

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Nicola Benedetti p...

	Nicola Benedetti plays Vaughan Williams & Tavener John Tavener, Ralph Vaughan Williams, ... DG, 2008 average customer review:based on 2 reviews view larger image
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Violinist Nicola Benedetti presents her third recording for DG, combining the lyrical beauty of The Lark Ascending (Vaughan Williams' aural portrait of a lark as it spirals up to the heavens), with two brand new works written specifically or her by Sir John Tavener. Though he is one of England's foremost composers, Tavener draws influence from cultures as diverse as Greek Orthodoxy, Hinduism and Sufism. Also featured is a premiere version for solo violin and strings of Song for Athene, the piece made famous by its performance at the funeral service of Princess Diana. Nicola's previous two recordings (of the Szymanowski and Mendelssohn concertos) have been met with critical acclaim, and have made her the UK's best-selling core classical artist. Forging a substantial international career, the coming months will see Nicola performing in Switzerland, Germany, US, Austria and Spain. These dates include her debut at Lincoln Center in New York.

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A great talent

These works couple very interesting works by Tavener with the ever popular "Lark Asending" by Vaughan Williams. These pieces are perfectly matched and the coupling was a great idea. The violinist is wonderful and has great expression. She is an amazing talent and I hope to hear more from her. Don't be afraid to get this CD if Tavener is not familiar to you. His music is very accessible. I just wish this CD (as an import currently) was not so expensive.

a good new tavener work and an excellent version of the lark ascending

This version of The Lark Ascending reminds me of the 1972 version by Iona Brown and Nevllle Mariner. It's a little longer and the violin flourishes have are slightly more held back making it seem a little more intense. The brass can also be heard more clearly giving it a bigger feel. If you are looking for a new version you could not go wrong with this one. The sound quality is also superb.
The Tavener pieces are as always mystically inclined. The new pieces Lalishri is fairly accessible and I think there are traces of a Mahler violin ( his 5th symphony?) piece in it. The new pieces are very sensual and Indian flavored and definitely have a simple intensity even in the faster sections. I've not always been a fan of John Tavener, but this is really good. If you haven't heard Song for Athene (an old one) it's a must have.

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