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Violinist Nicola Benedetti: Coming Home to Scotland

Violinist Nicola Benedetti's new CD is filled with music from her homeland.

One of our favorite guests - and one of yours, as you've told us - returns to Crossover this week. Violinist Nicola Benedetti discusses her CD, Homecoming: A Scottish Fantasy. (This is a re-broadcast from September, 2014.)

http://youtu.be/cEubjlNNHuI

The CD, as the title alludes to, contains a performance of Max Bruch's much-loved A Scottish Fantasy. But, there's more to it; Ms. Benedetti gets to salute the music of her homeland. The remainder of the CD is filled with Scottish music from composers Robert Burns, James Scott Skinner, Phil Cunningham and Iain MacDonald. There are a few traditional Scottish tunes on the disc, as well.  

Nicola's beautiful playing is backed by a small ensemble in most of the music, while the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Rory McDonald accompanies her performance of the Bruch and a couple of other short pieces.  She calls this recording "deeply personal," saying, "Music...can be presented by anyone, but there is no doubting the deep connection...when presenting the music of your heritage."

Jill speaks with Ms. Benedetti about the CD, plays selections from the disc - including Max Bruch's A Scottish Fantasy, presented in it's entirety - and catches up on the life and times of this acclaimed violinist since her last visit with us.

Crossover, with Jill Pasternak, airs Saturday mornings at 11:30 on WRTI-FM, with an encore Friday evenings at 7 on WRTI-HD2.  Both airings can be heard on the All-Classical web stream at wrti.org.

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