Nigel Kennedy gave his first classical concert in France in 2004; the astonishing impact of this one show created both the best-selling classical CD in France since 2000 and two number one records. With Kennedy still at number 1 and 2 in the charts he returned to embrace his French triumph on a summer night in 2005 for this concert. This live performance is set in the stunning location of La Citadelle in Carcassonne, France; and showcases Nigel’s Vivaldi canon for which he has become so famous. Joined by the Polish Chamber Orchestra, Nigel plays Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and duets with the leader of the PCO, Jakub Haufa, on Vivaldi’s Concerto for 2 violins in C Major. The programme also features two excellent and very different encores; a take on Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze” and a traditional celtic piece; both of which highlight Kennedy’s ability to interact with his audience.
Nigel Kennedy – Polish Spirit
In 2000, a stranger handed Nigel Kennedy an album of Mlynarski’s concerto in the street and unwittingly launched Kennedy on a major project to revive this forgotten Romantic music. As Kennedy says in his introduction to the concert, “…none of the musicians in the orchestra had ever played this music before, so even in Poland the Mlynarski is a forgotten concerto. So it’s a new discovery not just for me, but for the orchestra. There’s a whole new energy in this music with the Polish Chamber Orchestra playing it. We have this special connection which I’ve never really experienced with any other orchestra … so to be able to bring a new composer from their own heritage and to be able to take it to the world, I think represents the orchestra very well.” Concert programme: Emil Mlynarski’s Violin Concerto in A Major, Mieczyslaw Karlowicz’s Violin Concerto No.2 in D Major, Vittorio Monti’s Czardas (arr. Kennedy) cadenza by Nigel Kennedy, Trad: Danny Boy (arr. Kennedy)