I review soprano Joanne-Marie D'Mello and pianist Kumi Matsuo

Nigel Britto

Maurice Ravel’s Cinq Melodies Populaires Grecques was a worthy opening to the evening. It isn’t so hard to figure out why this set (Five Greek folksongs—translated to French) is so popular—the bunch of  short, pithy pieces not only set the right mood but gave a strong indication of what was to follow. Joanne-Marie D’Mello, the London-based Goan soprano, took full advantage of the depth and varying textures of Bach, Schubert, Rodrigo, and Verdi, which were part of the repertoire she presented at the Kala Academy on Saturday.

It may not have been the best day to have the concert, what with the abundance of weddings that come with every December. Add to that a next-door concert by the far more popular tabla maestro Zakir Hussein, and only a filtered bunch of the most dedicated western classical fans made it to the hall. A growing, and healthy, trend of Goan music lovers to encourage the state’s own rising stars ensured that the concert was, considering the exclusivity of its genre, reasonably well-attended, and all who made it got their time’s worth.

Ravel’s five short songs gave way to Ernest Chausson, the French romantic composer whose lack of prolificity was compensated by a generally high standard, and whose pieces reach the repertoires of only the most capable. It was pulled off with aplomb, after which the soprano left the stage to give pianist Kumi Matsuo her share of the limelight.

If there were any questions about the credentials of the relatively-unknown pianist, the Japan-born demolished them with a vengeance; at times the ivory-tickler even overshadowed the home girl with her brilliant interpretations of Bach’s Italian Concerto in F Major and later, Schumann and Liszt. During the solo segments, her knack of exact enunciation and the way she created multidimensional textures along with the demanding yet luscious left-hand trills, while making the whole process look incredibly easy, was particularly impressive. The haunting Jeux d'eau by Ravel was also handled expertly, the sound of sprinkled water coming cleanly through the piano.

The post-interval session started with Cuatro Madrigales Amatorios, by Joaquin Rodrigo, who became one of the most popular composers of the 20th century due to his most famous work, Concierto de Aranjuez, which forms standard part of any classical guitarist’s repertoire. After this was another display of pianistic virtuosity by Matsuo, who this time round tackled one of the stunning Grandes estudes de Paganini, the No.6 in A minor (piano adaptation of the 24th Caprice). Paganini's caprices are known to be among the most technically challenging frontiers in the entire western classical spectrum. Yet, despite Liszt removing some of the outrageous complications that are hallmark of the Italian's original violin works, the masterfully-rendered rapid finger-histrionics were clearly visible for all to see.

The last soprano-piano segment started off with Gluck’s Che Fiero Momento, but what opera show can there be without Verdi? Nanette’s aria, from the opera Falstaff, perhaps came a bit late in the evening, but the soprano was probably at her best here. The scaling voice soared rapturously over the aria’s long phases, distinctive of golden Italian opera, and which continued in Donizetti’s Norina’s Aria from the opera Don Pasquale, which formally ended the show. But the enthusiastic crowd would have none of it.

The duo performed a total of three encores, each time vociferously egged on by the excited audience. The elitism of the main concert was brought down in stages, first with Schubert’s popular Ave Maria, which is as much a trademark to D’Mello as Puccini's Nessun Dorma was to Pavarotti. Next came O Holy Night, but when even that wasn’t enough, the crowd was asked to join in the final song.  Now, you don’t usually see Japanese people doing Konkani songs, but that’s precisely what happened, when the duo burst into Adeus korcho vello, which quickly went from solo to group song, as the appreciative audience felt that the right way to end a pleasant evening was with a Konkani classic.

This article was first published on The Times of India, Goa, in its edition dated December 13, 2010.

Malhotra set for YouTube orchestra debut?

Shirish Malhotra a step away from spot in collaborative online orchestra

Nigel Britto

The world’s first collaborative online orchestra, the YouTube Symphony Orchestra, might soon have an Indian member. Shirish Malhotra, a prominent Mumbai musician who happens to be a son of Aldona, has made it to the finals of the massive project, beating thousands of participants from all over the world. This is the second edition of the orchestra, which, once finalized, will play at the prestigious Sydney Opera House in Australia next year.

The roots of the YSO can be traced back to 2008, when leading video-sharing site YouTube invited musicians from different cultures to upload clips of them playing their instruments to serve as audition tapes; these were then perused and filtered by an expert panel, which selected the best contestants and put their names out for public voting. These tapes were then viewed by over 15 million people, who voted for the best in each category and thus selected the members of the orchestra, making it the world’s first truly democratic western classical orchestra. 96 musicians from over 30 countries converged at Carnegie Hall, New York in April, 2009, for a sold-out performance. Famous American conductor Michael Tilson Thomas of the San Francisco Symphony led the pack, and the show also included a special arrangement by iconic Chinese pianist Lang Lang.

The second YTSO, the calls of which were given in October this year, raises the stakes even higher. The project now partners with giants of the classical music world, among whom the Berlin Philharmoniker and London Symphony Orchestra deserve special mention. Also, in addition to the audition videos, musicians this time were also given an opportunity to demonstrate their skill in improvising, as the piece being planned for Sydney, Mothership, by Mason Bates, relies on orchestral improvisation to complete it, and this was one of the criteria based on which some of the finalists were chosen.

Malhotra, whose place in the orchestra now depends on public votes, has played in several leading orchestras such as the Symphony Orchestra of India, Bombay Chamber Orchestra, Sangat Festival Orchestra and the Sri Lankan Symphony Orchestra. He’s also involved in several other musical projects in and around Mumbai, and sometimes trains under Goan flute instructor Susan Badyari. Sackadoodle, as his YouTube avatar goes, appeals that people vote for him.

“It’s great to get this far, and I hope India votes to send me to Sydney”, he told TOI from Kolkata, where he’s participating in a classical guitar festival; “I really want India to make a mark in the international classical music scene and this will be a huge step in that direction”, he adds. The largely self-taught flautist also plays classical guitar, saxophone and violin, and describes himself as an instrument whore. "You give me an instrument, I'll get a tune out of it", he says. Malhotra is also passionate about old Lambretta scooters, and after classical, he loves Brazilian samba and jazz, a preference he attributes in full to his Goan roots.

This article was published in The Times of India, Goa, in its edition dated December 13, 2010.