Benedetti: Food and phones ruin classical concerts
Music marred by ‘casual’ approach
NICOLA Benedetti has called for phones, food and drink to be banned from her concerts because such activities are too ‘casual’ for her performances.
The violinist listed concertgoers who use phones or eat or drink during performances among her pet peeves in the world of classical music.
She said: ‘I’m not really a fan of [the idea that] everybody should have their phones out and everybody should be able to eat and drink during concerts and let’s make it into something incredibly casual.’
She added in an interview with radio station Classic FM: ‘I don’t think the music is very casual.
‘There’s something extremely intense about the music and the thing that I’m looking for as a musician is that people feel as much as possible f r om t he performance, and in order for people to feel as much as possible they need to be as engaged as possible.’
The star, originally from West Kilbride, Ayrshire, also claimed classical music should take pointers from pop music, saying: ‘There are elements of presentation and connectivity online that other genres have taken advantage of more than classical music. There are things to be learned from the way the pop music industry has such a presence everywhere.
‘But I don’t think on any level classical music should be made more colourful, should be short- ened, should be less complex, should be less focussed. It’s those elements that make a classical concert what it is – one of the most emotive experiences you can have.’
She also took the chance to emphasise the importance of music in schools, adding: ‘The most important thing is for music to be more integrated in schools, have a much bigger presence in schools.’
Miss Benedetti has recently called for the First Minister to cancel cuts to music in Edinburgh schools. In a tweet she endorsed a petition titled ‘Say NO to the proposed budget cut of our Edinburgh schools music tuition service.’
She captioned the tweet: ‘I would like to draw your attention to this, Nicola Sturgeon. We are all praying for the correct outcome.’
The First Minister responded to the tweet, saying: ‘This is a council decision but I agree re importance of music to education.’
The former BBC Young Musician of the Year is on the board of Sistema Scotland, a charity created to help children in deprived areas.
Last year the star said she and her boyfriend, German cellist Leonard Elschenbroich, have to stop practising at their West-London home by 10pm. She added: ‘Because we’re at the top, it’s only the gentleman below us who insists we stop. He’s an extremely lovely guy, so we’re lucky.’