La Bella Violinista, Venice, 2009
Last month, I attended a concert in a small performance venue by the Scottish classical violinist Nicola Benedetti. It was an excellent show, especially as I arrived early and got a seat in the front row. In addition to being a highly skilled musician, Ms. Benedetti is a beautiful young woman, too.
This reminded me of hearing a performance by another beautiful violinist. Rather than taking place in a small underground space on Bleecker Street in Manhattan, the performance occurred in the wide expanse of Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square) in Venice, Italy.
As I have written before, Venice is one of my favorite places to visit. La Serrenissima – the most serene republic – it was called. As there are no automobiles there (other than on the Lido), it is a remarkably quiet place, and therefore an excellent place to hear outdoor music.
Piazza San Marco is lined with cafes and there are a lot of small tables set up in the square for people to sit and enjoy their repast. There are also a few platforms set up on which small orchestras play, both daytime and evening, to serenade the people there.
These are photos are one particular violinist who caught my eye one afternoon on my visit in 2009. It’s moments like this which make visits to this special city so worthwhile.
