Benedetti & Sitkovitsky: Tribute to Menuhin – Usher Hall

Nicola Benedetti kicked off the evening with a warm welcome, telling us it was going to be “a lot about the violin” and a tribute to Yehudi Menuhin. She mentioned that in her early career she had often played second violin to Alexander Sitkovetsky, but tonight she certainly wasn’t playing second for long. The atmosphere was set, intimate, personal, and just a bit cheeky.

The concert opened with Elgar’s Serenade for Strings, lush and romantic, a soft embrace of a piece that filled the hall with warmth and a gentle nostalgic glow. Its three movements flowed effortlessly, a perfect opener that drew the audience in with grace rather than bombast.

Then, Alexander Sitkovetsky took the stage for Panufnik’s Violin Concerto, a deeply spiritual work written for Menuhin. It’s reflective, lyrical, and quietly intense, the kind of music that seems to unfold like a conversation with the soul. Sitkovetsky brought a thoughtful, unhurried reading, the orchestra giving him space to let the music breathe. It was a calm pool after Bartók’s storm, and the audience was spellbound.

After the interval came the moment of the night, Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins in D minor. Benedetti told us how this piece had been part of her life since she was eleven, playing it with Sitkovetsky back then, later at Menuhin’s funeral, and now here in the grandeur of the Usher Hall. The two of them stood side by side, facing the audience, their interplay both conversational and perfectly in sync. It shimmered and danced, the kind of performance where you forget to breathe for fear of missing a note.

Then came Bartók’s Divertimento for Strings, and the mood flipped completely. Suddenly we were in the middle of forests and mountains, with music that was earthy, dramatic, and full of bite. The tension in the outer movements contrasted with the almost eerie stillness of the middle section, Bartók’s folk influences colouring every phrase. It was a thrilling change of landscape.

Throughout the evening, the NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra proved why their residency at the Edinburgh International Festival has been such a talking point. They played with clarity, warmth, and a sense of chamber-like intimacy, adapting seamlessly from Elgar’s sweeping lyricism to Bartók’s muscular rhythms and Panufnik’s introspection. Benedetti thanked them warmly, praising not only their artistry but also their generosity during this “most amazing residency,” which has brought a distinctive Polish flavour to the festival.

As the official programme closed, Benedetti said she wished she could do this every night, thanking the orchestra again and acknowledging the young rising stars in the audience. Then she introduced the last piece, The Fiddler’s Farewell, written in 1985 by Edward “Eddie” McGuire for Yehudi Menuhin during his visit to the Edinburgh International Festival. Originally composed for Menuhin to perform with six traditional Scottish fiddlers and The Whistlebinkies, the piece was conceived as a meeting point between classical refinement and the raw energy of Scottish folk music. Benedetti began it alone, her violin voice clear, heartfelt, and slightly wistful, before the orchestra joined, lifting the whole thing skywards in waves of harmony. You could almost hear the echoes of its first performance decades ago, a nod to tradition and a salute to Menuhin’s lifelong openness to musical cultures.

It was warm, joyous, and tinged with the bittersweet sense of parting. And then, just when you thought it was over, they broke into a lively Scottish reel, the sort of toe-tapping finish that sent the audience out into the Edinburgh night grinning. It was the perfect ending, celebratory, generous, and rooted in the joy of shared music-making.

From the romantic glow of Elgar to the rugged drama of Bartók, the meditative soul of Panufnik, and the sparkle of Bach, this wasn’t just a concert, it was a love letter, to Menuhin, to the violin, and to the sheer thrill of playing music together.

Reviewer: Greg Holstead

Reviewed: 11^th August 2025

North West End UK Rating:

Running time – 1hr 45mins