Nicola Benedetti was replaced last night at the Vancouver Symphony in the Mozart 3rd concerto by concertmaster Dale Barltrop. The orchestra tweeted that its intended soloist ‘will not play tonight at the Chan Centre, due to a very bad flu’.
We wish her better.
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Ms. Benedetti performed the Mozart Violin Concerto No. 5 on Friday night, quite beautifully. By Saturday afternoon though she was quite ill. Dale Barltrop and the VSO hastened an additional rehearsal to prepare the substitution- Mozart’s Cto 3, with Dale as soloist. And while the audience was sorry for Ms. Benedetti’s illness, they were not disappointed by the change of programming. Dale will soon relocate to home in Australia at the end of the current VSO season. For reasons such as this demonstration if his leadership and abilities he will be missed.
I’ve heard of the Bird Flu.
I’ve heard of a Porcine Flu.
A Spanish Flu, if we’re going to get geographical.
But I have never, for the life of me, heard of a “Canada flu”.
Nor I, Mikey. And I, an ex-pat Londoner, live just outside Vancouver, spend much time there, and can testify there is no flu epidemic hereabouts. In any case, when flu does gives us trouble, it’s usually ‘Asian Flu’. Unless she caught that at the Chan Centre, ahem, I suspect she brought it with her — ‘Nicky Flu’.
FYI, Ms. Benedetti was engaged to perform the Mozart Violin Concerto No. 5 (“Turkish”) in Vancouver and did so beautifully on Friday May 21, with the members of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. This despite feeling unwell on Firday afternoon. When her condition worsened on Saturday she regretfully had to withdraw from the performance Saturday night. The VSO convened an additional rehearsal and prepared Mozart’s Concerto No. 3 as a substitution, with concertmaster Dale Barltrop as soloist. Although there was some disappointment on the part of the audience, no one had an issue with the last minute change and everyone wishes Ms. Benedetti a speedy recovery.
The fact the Dale Barltrop could lead the entire program (Bartók Rumanian Dances / Mozart Concerto / Shostakovich/Barshai Chamber Symphony) from his violin and deliver an unexpected solo role too is one of the hallmarks of his leadership here in Vancouver. He will be returning home to Australia at the end of this season after 7 years a concertmaster in Vancouver. It is concerts like this that make us so appreciative of his abilities. He will be missed.