Lucia Micarelli

[daddytom]

I hope all you Brits know Lucia is touring your island the month of June (with Micheal Ball). If Lucia can't stir your emotoims your dead. Check her webpage for schedule.

www.luciamicarelli.com/

[Richard]

Hello Tom, and thank you for the link!

I've just looked at Lucia's video clips, and she's certainly another excellent young musician who thoroughly deserves a place in the Forum. She is of a similar standard to our own Nicola Benedetti, who played at the Classical Brit Awards a few days ago, and she also reminds me of New Zealand's Fiona Pears, who often plays violin for Hayley, as she did at Olympia in March.

Best Wishes from London,

Richard

[Dave]

This is fascinating! I've been watching Lucia for a while now, since noticing her CD in the US classical crossover charts a few months ago; it's peak position was no. 5 so she's some way behind Hayley - and Nicola (no. 2 in the UK classical chart) - but doing well for a violinist.

The thing is though, Lucia has very definitely entered the classical crossover arena and some of her tracks on the CD have electronic backing; a few others are violin arrangements of pop songs. The rest are classical but I don't know if she'll be eligible for the UK classical chart (60% classical is needed). She's also about three years older than Nicola which has enabled her to complete her formal classical training then move on to broaden her horizons with crossover stuff.

Nicola remains very firmly classical classical (if you see what I mean). What else, when her first album features Symanowski's Violin Concerto? i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif But Nicola's record company are marketing her AS IF she was classical crossover, even licensing some ringtones of her music! It will be fascinating to see who, in the end, does better - Nicola or Lucia. Probably Lucia in the US, Nicola in the UK. I'd hate to try and say who's the better violinist though - I won't even go there!

By the way, not only is Lucia touring the UK (with Michael Ball) at the moment but she (he!) has THREE South Coast venues - including Portsmouth - and Bournemouth twice! Hayley and management, you left us out down here, last time... so please note

[nicola]

I have both of her CDs. Her second CD is very creative and emotive. I have seen her live too at a Josh Groban concert, whom she frequently tours with.

She's a real artist and look forward to more albums from her.

[Libby]

Yes, she has been Josh Groban's violinist on his last 2 tours. She usually appears with him on his TV performances, too, along with all his usual band members. His band isn't anything to sneeze at, that's for sure!
Yes, she is very passionate when she plays. I liked it last time when she played Kashmir.

[stevemacdonald]

What is it with violinists these days that so many of them going barefoot? Máiréad, Fiona, Lucia -- all without shoes. I don't get it. Is it supposed to help their playing or something? Enlighten me.

[nicola]

Perhaps it is because as violinists, they wear classy dresses, and the only shoes that go with these dresses are heels or stiletos, which probably makes moving around difficult. That's if it's a practical reason.

Other than that, they probably just prefer it. Personal choice and all that.

Libby: I used to like Kashmir until every crossover string act decided to cover it. It's a bit bland now. But it was Lucia's live performance of it that was my first experience, and I enjoyed it immensely at the time.

[Libby]

I've never seen Máiréad playing barefoot. When and where did you see this? I don't recall that in the DVDs, and not at the one concert I've been to, either.

I don't think it's just about moving around; if you watch ballroom dancing, you see that they nearly always wear stilettos, which can't be good for the feet, knees, back, etc. Standing in one place in high-heel shoes is not good or comfortable, either.

I think it may be more to do with image. One starts doing it, so they all think they should, to make them seem more intriguing, or something.

As far as violinists go, I prefer Máiréad. She doesn't contort her face, and she's so lively.

[fusilier23]

Mairead did it for ONE piece, called Granuaile's Dance, on the ANJ album. It was not planned, apparently, or so I have heard. What happened was that during the filming of ANJ it rained on and off, and the stage got a llittle wet, so Mairead took off her shoes for that piece to avoid slipping. It attracted attention so she kept doing that song barefoot for part of the ANJ tour and the following ensemble piece "Beyond the Sea" because there wasn't time to get her shoes back on. After an accidental fall in Gammage, AZ from overreaching with her foot, which resulted in her tearing her calf muscle, she never appeared without heels again, and she will be shod all the time on the upcoming DVD from Powerscourt.

Fiona and Lucia talk about being able to feel the music better without shoes, but I don't think it's critical to their performance. Fiona has always been shod when I've seen her and it didn't make any difference to the way she sounded. Frankly I think it is to some degree a "gimmick" designed to attract attention.

[Libby]

Okay, I'll have to watch the DVD again to watch for her feet! I like that song a lot anyway. I liked her new songs on the tour, too, although I don't remember what they sound like right now.

When will the DVD be out?

[fusilier23]

January, I think.

[Libby]

Thanks!