Glowing performances on the harp

It was not just the beautiful sounds of the rare instrument that mesmerised the audience but also the greatness and grandeur of the harp itself that had them awestruck.

‘The Harp in Concert’ featuring harp solos by Rahel Schweizer of Zurich University of the Arts and Meagan Pandian, a musician from Mumbai, was a golden performance that received immense appreciation from Bengalureans.

The evening displayed a full spectrum of harp repertoire from virtuoso solo works to chamber-music and orchestra excerpts.

The two harpists, Meagan and Rahel, were joined by Arun Sebastian Rozario and Grace Meenakshi Biswas on violin, mezzo-soprano Tanisha Herbert and flautist Paulette Demello. Rahel Schweizer is in India as part of the cultural and educational partnership between the Bangalore School of Music and Zurich University of the Arts.

The concert took listeners on a trip through different time-epoques and around the world — from French chamber music by Jaques Ibert to a Japanese piece for flute and harp and Italian belcanto opera by Bellini.

Interestingly, a harp had been brought to Bengaluru all the way from Mumbai for the concert, to give music lovers in the city a unique experience.

“Bengaluru is very fortunate to have a concert featuring the harp live. This was a first for me, though I have seen the instrument and heard it earlier. Meagan played some very melodious concert pieces — solo as well as accompanied by the violin and the flute. Rahel was brilliant and played everything from classical to Duke Ellington’s jazz with ease and style. The organisers deserve equal praise for making this happen,” said Jayant Thomas, retired programming officer from All India Radio, who came to attend the concert.

Yogesh Kulkarni, a software engineer, said, “The harp is an instrument that’s rarely used or seen in India; in fact, there are none in Bengaluru. The concert was a feast to the ears and a rare opportunity for the audience. The pieces played were really good and they were all seasoned players who came together for this.”

Aditi Vijayan, a first year degree student at Mount Carmel college, also savoured the treat.

     “The concert was mindblowing. I have never seen a harp in real life and have never been to such a concert before. So as a first time experience, it was really aw­e-in­spi­ring. We were told stories about each piece which got me hooked to imagining the music. Although ‘Baroque Flamenco’ and ‘Springtime Sea’ were my favourites, the other pieces were equally entertaining,” said Aditi.