JOIN USThe concert was a part of the ‘Sweden India Nobel Memorial Week 2011’, an annual event in the City for the last four years.
In honour of the occasion, they performed a line-up of classical arias, both Italian and French; traditional Swedish songs and songs from some other Scandanavian countries; as well as a few pieces from popular musicals, such as ‘The Phantom of the Opera’, ‘West Side Story’ and ‘Chess’, a musical which was composed by the two male performers of the popular group ‘Abba’.
The evening began with a beautiful rendition of Jag Langtar Dig, a song written by a Swedish nationalist composer named Hugo Alfen. The piece began on a soft, melodious note, but soon rose to a powerful crescendo. Carlsson’s strong voice had the audience mesmerised, and Engstrom’s mastery over the piano was truly a treat for the ears.
With refreshing lyrics which described natural beauty, and the wonder of fresh air, mountains and lakes, it was the perfect start to the evening.
The second song, also composed by Hugo Alfen, was called Saa Tag Mit Hjerte, which translates to ‘Take My Heart’. This romantic composition was filled with soft, lilting notes and beautiful melodies. Its lyrics, which translate to ‘My heart is strong and proud, but my heart can be crushed’, left an impression on the all who were gathered there.
The third song that the talented artistes performed was titled Land Du Valsignade.
Describing this piece, Engstrom said, “It’s almost like a national anthem of sorts in Sweden. The song praises the beautiful country that Sweden is, with its mountains and myriads of lakes.” The composition was a powerful one, and Carlsson’s strong and steady voice perfectly complimented it. They then moved on to Jeg Elsker Dig, a work by Edvard Grieg, a Danish composer, after which they treated the audience to a rendition of Svarta Rosor, which describes a particular variety of rose which is filed with thorns and was composed by Jean Sibelius.
The other memorable pieces performed by these two artistes were La Fleur Que Tu M’Avais Jetee, a composition by Georges Bizet; Dein Ist Mein Ganzes Hertz, by Franz Lehar; Nessun Dorma by Giacomo Puccini; and a classic by Gaetano Donizetti entitled Una Furtiva Lagrima. Popular musical pieces, like Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Music Of The Night’, Leonard Bernstein’s ‘Maria’ and Benny Andersson’s ‘Anthem’ were also played.