I nternational Music & Arts Society’s recital by Ashwati Parmeshwar at the St. Mark’s Cathedral saw an impressive turnout for a rather specialized niche: a Western classical vocal soloist, even rarer as it was a young Indian soprano. The well-organised recital provided programme notes with English translations, always helpful as the singer tries to convey emotions in foreign languages.
Church acoustics were intended to amplify the voice naturally, whether spoken or sung, so the cathedral was suited to voice projection without any electronic amplification, which is a requisite for an opera singer.
Ashwati’s training stood her in goodstead for the most part. She started off a bit tentatively so that one ascribed it to nerves, though later too, her soft passages remained a bit too sotto voce, perhaps inaudible to those further away.
But, as the evening progressed, it became clear that her voice was at its full-throated best when she hit the high notes with impressive accuracy and assurance. Her brief forays into coloratura and glissando also showed the young singer’s increasing mastery over such difficult techniques.
When doing pieces out of context, it is difficult to get into the character and mood in a short space of time, but Ashwati’s dramatic abilities well expressed a range of moods. The simple romanticism of Plaisir d’amour was conveyed with sincere directness, while Zerlina’s playful Batti batti had just the right touch of coquettishness. Ashwati was appropriately uninhibited portraying Lehar’s rather raunchy Giuditta aria suggestive of the famous Berlin Cabaret, with its eliding rhythm evoking the tango.
However, Ashwati must learn to hold characters’ masks; they tended to slip when she was not singing, during the solo piano passages.
It is a pity that the mediocre quality of the piano did not do justice to either vocalist or pianist. As her usual accompanist was absent, Natalia Kapylova stepped in at short notice, ably providing support, as she is not only an accomplished soloist but has accompanied Ashwati before.
Her admirable playing was most evident in the brief solo passages in the second Schubert piece, beautifully capturing his haunting lyricism.
Think of Me was an anticlimax as the encore. I feel that a classical singer’s voice sounds over-trained for jazz or popular songs.
The result always sounds a little strained, whereas when sung by those with no classical training or technique, it comes across as fittingly natural and effortless. Summertime might have been the perfect encore. Though classified as opera, its simple folk element ensures its perennial appeal. Given Western classical vocal’s limited appeal in India, and that Ashwati aims to acquaint audiences with it, her programme could have included more popular arias and songs.
Just as O Mio Babino Caro was enjoyed because of its familiarity, it would not have been patronizing or dumbing-down to have included more such recognizable pieces, with a strong emphasis on melody: a judicious choice of bel canto arias for example.
Notably absent were pieces from the sacred music canon. Ashwati admits that it is a genre she has further to explore, “ and I didn’t want to sing the usual Ave Maria or Panis Angelicus …”. However, given the venue, and that St. Mark’s parishioners comprised a sizeable section of the audience, sacred music was missed.
Ashwati would have reaped the other advantage of including more “well-known” music: the novice listener can judge how well a piece is sung only by comparison, when he/she has heard it sung before.
But without a doubt, Ashwati has made converts with her evening’s offering as a soprano, and we look forward to more recitals of her significant talent, perhaps with more - dare I say it? - “popular” programmes.
MALINI WHITE
