British violinist Nigel Kennedy’s performance at Sala Palatului in Bucharest defied the rainy weather of Sunday night, being a real all around success. We found out the same old good-humored Nigel, jesting all around with the audience, with the members of the orchestra, while seriously performing his own compositions, heard for the first time in the first part of the concert, as well as his own version of “The four seasons” by Vivaldi.
A true original regale mix, where classic opera perfectly merged with jazz, Latino or Irish beats.
Nigel Kennedy embarked on the Bucharest music journey next to the VALAHIA Symphonic Orchestra, having Virgil Petanca as founder and conductor, whom the British violinst loves dearly.
The full up hall strongly empathized with the violinist and his accompanying orchestra, with spectators tasting every joke, every chord, enjoying old and new, traditional and unconventional altogether.
In the opening, Nigel Kennedy performed four pieces close to his heart, and had four dedications to their authors: to Polish Jarek Smietana, described as “one of the greatest European jazz guitarists and a wonderful composer”, to Isaac Stern, “a huge inspiration to every violinist from the younger generation”, to Stephane Grappelli, “with the amazing fluidity in his phrasing” and to Mark O’Connor, “a child prodigy”, “one of the most important violinists alive”.
New Four Seasons after Antonio Vivaldi came as intervals while the encore comprised the Czardas and a traditional Irish song.
