Italia

“a lively celebration of Benedetti's Italian roots, shot through with some laser-sharp pyrotechnics, and brave work-in-progress as she squares up to period style with a modern instrument...Benedetti's 'Baroque' occasionally sounds like 'Kreisler with attitude'; the accent may not be pitch-perfect, but for sheer flair: Viva Italia!” --BBC Music Magazine, Octuber 2011 ****

“With a Baroque-type bow, using very little vibrato (but with modern strings), she produces a sound that, for the most part, is cool and clear but by no means inexpressive. The SCO match her elegant phrasing and provide an accompaniment that's alert, spirited and sensitive. It conveys a brightly polished image of the music, most enjoyable, and bringing a virtuoso aspect to the fore.” --Gramophone Magazine, Octuber 2011

“This is the best recording of Vivaldi's 'Summer' I've heard...at precisely 2.19 Benedetti performs a trill in which she only partially depresses the string, allowing a rainbow of stratospheric harmonics to colour the trill...Great recordings are made of tiny moments of unexpected brilliance like this” -- Classic FM, 2010 edition *****