×
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Strumming the guitar with ease

Last Updated 11 March 2014, 12:50 IST

A Journey of Classical Guitar by Icelandic Artiste’, a classical concert by Oegmundur Thor Johannesson, was held at the Bangalore School of Music recently.

This performer, who started studying classical guitar at the age of ten, looked relaxed on stage and his love for the instrument could clearly be seen. Oegmundur, who performed several pieces at the concert, tried to keep the performance interesting by giving a brief narration about each piece, which was informative and entertaining.

The different pieces performed during the show included compositions like ‘Koyunbaba’ by Carlo Domeniconi, ‘III Fantasia in F minor’ by George Philipp Telemann, Spanish Suite op. 47 ‘Asturias’ by Isaac Albeniz and ‘The Winter’ from the Four Seasons by Astor Piazzolla. The audience also liked ‘Choros no. 1’ by Heitor Villa-Lobos and ‘Due Canzone Lidie’ by Nuccio d’Angelo, which were the final pieces of the performance.

After the artiste performed an encore, everyone was excited to interact with him.

Oegmundur, who was excited to perform in Bangalore, said that this experience was different. “I’ve performed earlier with the Bangalore Conservatory. But this show was very different. It was a theatre-like performance thanks to the compact hall,” he said.Aruna Sunderlal, the founder of BSM, said that the pieces performed by Oegmundur were unique. “The concert consisted of pieces from the time of Bach to the composers of 20th century. The audience was engrossed in the performance,” said Aruna.

Music-lovers were touched by the different notes that the artiste played. Roseline Thomas, a music student, said that it’s artistes like Oegmundur who inspire young performers like her. “His finesse on the guitar was like none other that I’ve seen. There are so many guitar performances that I’ve been to but none of the artistes have given such a calm yet vibrant performance,” she said.

To see an artiste perform different western pieces in an Indian outfit was amusing, said Agatha Christopher, a French student. “When I walked in, I saw the artiste on the stage dressed in a kurta and jooti. I couldn’t stop thinking about the barriers that music cuts through. Also, the different compositions that he played were of different moods and eras. It was a good mix,” she said.

ADVERTISEMENT
(Published 11 March 2014, 12:50 IST)

Follow us on

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT