Boelter pleads guilty in lawmaker attacks, agrees to two life sentences

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

With his signature scruffy beard, spiky hair, and colorful use of the English language, Nigel Kennedy has carefully fostered his reputation as a classical music rebel for some 25 years.  

He may be a "black sheep" in the world of classical music, but his virtuosic technique and unique talent have mass appeal. His 1997 recording of Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" is one of the best-selling classical CDs of all time. 

"I think a lot of Vivaldi and Bach has been the perfect preparation to do Mozart," Kennedy said. 

Until recently, he's avoided the music of Mozart, dismissing it as boring "coffee-table music."  But in anticipation that one day he might reconsider Mozart,  he named his 11-year-old son Sark Yves Amadeus Kennedy.  

The joy of Mozart finally revealed itself to Kennedy, and his new release features Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 4, paired with Beethoven's only violin concerto. 

Nigel Kennedy gives Mozart's concerto a contemporary edge by adding his own jazzy cadenzas to each movement.

In the first movement, you forget you're listening to Mozart for almost two minutes when Kennedy picks up his electric violin, creating a mysterious pulsating groove with double bassist Michael Baranski.  They crescendo out of the cadenza as quickly as they got into it, ending on a familiar chord.

Mozart's violin concerto allows the soloist to be more self-indulgent. But in Beethoven's only violin concerto, the soloist is more integrated within the fabric of the composition. 

The  concerto was written for Franz Clement, concertmaster for the Vienna Theater Orchestra, who was renowned for his sweet expressive tone, his skill as an improviser and his amazing musical memory. 

All of those skills were put to the test when this work was premiered. Beethoven barely finished it in time, requiring Clement to literally sight-read the solo part.  

Kennedy first recorded this concerto in 1992 with legendary conductor Klaus Tennstedt.  On this new release, he conducts the Polish Chamber Orchestra from his violin in a fresh, somewhat leaner interpretation. The Polish Chamber Orchestra has a full, bright sound that's accentuated by Kennedy's energetic, crisp tempo. 

In the first movement, the violin is given plenty of opportunity to sing its way through soaring lyrical lines, something at which Kennedy truly excels. 

The soloist is really put to the test during the quiet passages.  Kennedy charms the listener with his sweet tone, and poetic expression.  He closes out the first movement with his own version of Fritz Kreisler's cadenza.  

The reflective Larghetto contains a series of variations delicately outlined by the violin.  A joyful Rondo closes out this concerto.  The spirited recurring theme is infectious. You'll find yourself humming it the rest of the day. 

Kennedy has been artistic director of the Polish Chamber Orchestra since 2002. On this recording, their special musical connection makes the violin concertos of Mozart and Beethoven sparkle.  

"I have always tried to break down the barriers sometimes associated with classical music," Nigel Kennedy said.  

His goal isn't to shock the classical music world. He's simply looking for new ways to get classical music to the people. 

With this new release, Nigel Kennedy is doing what Mozart and Beethoven often did -- following his instincts to expand the possibilities of music.

Gallery

Arts and Culture

Music

Julie Amacher

Author

Throughout his career, Nigel Kennedy has been both a mainstay and a rebel within the world of classical music. His new disc includes the Beethoven concerto, a Mozart concerto, and a very unconventional cadenza.

New Classical Tracks: 'Bad boy violinist discovers the joy of Mozart

Go Deeper.

Like this?

News you can use in your inbox