Roger Benedict
violist - conductor
Reviews
- Tim Perry, Musicweb International - The Unquiet Grave by Andrew Ford performed by Roger Benedict with the Sydney Symphony
Soundbites
"A special and very talented musician, a sincere pleasure to work with" Maestro Christoph von Dohnanyi (former Chief Conductor, Philharmonia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra)
"The superb soloist, Roger Benedict..." Independent (UK)
"Warm and lyrical viola playing..." Daily Telegraph (UK)
"Roger Benedict's impassioned solo viola..." The Guardian (UK)
"He produced playing of such exquisite beauty... we were in the presence of one of the great performers of the work..." The Yorkshire Post (UK) for Berlioz's Harold in Italy
"This work proved to be an ideal showcase for Benedict, the orchestra's impressive new principal viola..." Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
"A full, strong sound, exemplary intonation and precision... fine playing indeed..." SMH (Australia)
"In particular, Benedict's introduction of the theme was a moment of great beauty, hushed but sustained over a sensitive accompaniment..." SMH (Australia)
"Particularly endearing for their tenderness of expression in this performance were the solos of Roger Benedict..." SMH (Australia)
"Roger Benedict's high-energy, high-enjoyment performance..." SMH (Australia)
"Stand-out performances..." Sun-Herald (Australia)
Web Review: Andrew Ford The Unquiet Grave performed by Roger Benedict and the Sydney Symphony.
15 March 2007
http://www.musicweb-international.com/SandH/2007/Jan-Jun07/sydney1503.htm
That piece was The Unquiet Grave, a compact viola concerto in one movement. The piece takes its title from an English folk song, which Ford deconstructs note by note, phrase by phrase, in a series of quasi-variations. The theme is hinted at throughout, amid the dissonances and fleeting tonality, and something of its modal flavour lingers constantly in the background, like a ghostly presence. It is only in the final bars, though, that the viola states the theme in full. Although Ford's idiom is quite distinct, this “variations and, only then, theme” approach to an old song reminded me of another work for solo viola – Britten's Lachrymae on Dowland's galliard of the same name. An unconscious reference, perhaps?
Ford makes fascinating use of harmonics to generate much of the disquieting atmosphere of The Unquiet Grave. Though the orchestral forces are small – a bare minimum compliment of strings and a skeleton staff of winds and brass – Ford employs a large battery of percussion instruments, asking his sole percussionist to flit from tubular bells to tam-tam, from vibraphone to crotales, from bass drum to marimba. Each percussion instrument is allowed to ring out, with the harmonics emerging from the percussion and from the harp taken up by the strings to produce an eerie mist of sound.
Roger Benedict, the Sydney Symphony's principal viola, navigated the fragmented solo part with skill. His warm, dark tone suited the uneasy questioning of Ford's writing and his intense concentration was especially impressive in the hushed cadenza at the very end of the piece. It was the aural equivalent of watching a single guttering candle in a pitch black room. Only after this did the theme of the folk song emerge, a fragile statement, before the music was allowed to die on Benedict's bow. That is how the concert ended.
Tim Perry, MusicWeb International