Great masters come alive

Soulful Symphonies

Music lovers were treated to some Western classical compositions by the students and faculty of the Bangalore School of Music

The Bangalore School of Music (BSM) put up an unusual show recently with the students and the faculty performing to a full house.

The concert, titled ‘Great Symphonies on Keyboard’, and directed by Maxwell P J, head of the keyboard department, BSM, had a neat mix of 11 Western classical compositions by popular composers.

The evening began with Konzert D-dur fur Trompet by Johann Friedrich Fasch, who is a German violinist and composer.

His works include cantas, concertos, symphonies and chamber music.
They moved on to perform Frohlich: Concerto pour 2 flutes et cordes by Georg Philipp Telemann, a German Baroque composer and multi-instrumentalist.

This was followed by ‘The Arrival’ or ‘the Queen of Sheba’ by George Frideric Handel, who is popular for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos.

Another piece, Libiamo ne’ lieti calici was by G Verdi who focussed on opera and was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century.

Another piece, ‘Album for the Young’ by PI Tchaikovsky, was by a Russian composer known for his symphonies, concertos, operas ballets, and chamber music.

The concert concluded with ‘The Marriage of Figaro-Overture’ by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Performances of Western classical compositions by students of music is common but it is special when the teachers took centrestage. Their students were among the audience to cheer them.

Maxwell P J, who conceptualised and pieced the concert together, says, “The Bangalore School of Music is the only music school in the City performing the ‘Great Symphonies’ on electronic keyboard. Those who learn the electronic keyboard will be learning and playing pop rock and contemporary music. This concert could be an opening for all the musicians for playing Western and Indian classic music in symphonic style on the electronic keyboard.”

Those in the audience thought it is uncommon to find teachers and students performing together. Akanksha, a music lover and a regular to most of the BSM concerts says, “It’s rare to see students and teachers perform on a common stage. Western classical music is hard to master, the hours of practice and dedication is visible in the performance.”      
Sujatha Joseph, another member of the audience, says, “Earlier, there weren’t so many western classical music concerts in the City but today music lovers are spoilt for choices. There’s so much talent around.”

Maxwell performed along with his colleagues Sheba Kurian and five senior students during the ‘Symphonies No 4’ by Scarlatti, ‘Concerto for Trumpet’ by Johann F Fasch and ‘Overtures’ by Verdi and Handel.