A rare amalgam of musical genres at Chennai Goethe Institut

It was a rich aural treat for the audience at the concert by Samyuktha and Immanuel, organised by Goethe Institut

The Goethe Institut, Max Mueller Bhavan, presented a recital featuring Samyuktha R. on the violin and Immanuel T on piano. Trained in both the Western classical and Carnatic disciplines, Samyuktha is a student of V.S. Narasimhan, eminent violinist, music director and founder of the Madras String Quartet. Immanuel is a performer and teacher of Western classical music. The artistes journeyed through a variety of genres that included Baroque, Classical and Romantic genres.

The programme, ‘Violin bows Piano strings’ was in two parts. The opening piece, Allemende from Partita No. 2 (Bach) was the first movement of a baroque suite of dances, tinged with overtones of nostalgia. In contrast, Violin Concerto in E major (Bach), with an air of briskness, carried lovely whimsical touches with softened intonations highlighting the contrast between overt and subtle. For all its airiness, this was a demanding oeuvre to which the violin taking centre stage and a softly supportive piano did justice. Beethoven’s Romanze in F Major traversed a dreamy soundscape that trailed off in a wispy plume.

With an arresting start, Spanish Dance No. 5 (Enrique Granados) was alternately imperious and coaxing, enthralling through passionate, gypsy rhythms. Showcasing Samyuktha’s prodigious skills that testified to her being at home in both genres, the Carnatic composition ‘Chinnanchiru Kiliye’ (Ragamalika, Subramania Bharathi ) concluded the first segment.

A brief speech by V.S. Narasimhan dwelt on the origins of the violin, its place in orchestral music in India and the west and its adaptation to Indian music.

The artistes embarked on the second half of the programme with Sarabande from Partita No. 2 (Bach) that featured solemn, weighty passages with a spectral feel, with double stops much in evidence. Contrast came with the sprightly Concerto No. 3 in G Major (Mozart), with its mischievous prancing steps likened by connoisseurs to ‘varieties of musical laughter.’

Midway, the reflective moments sustained by long notes gave way to irrepressible cheerfulness in this attractive work.

Thais Meditation by Jules Massenet is a symphonic composition from the opera Thaïs by French composer Jules Massenet. Written for solo violin and orchestra, the piece expresses a rare amalgam of peace, joy, sadness, pain and benediction that the artistes captured. ‘Rondino on a Theme’ (Beethoven) harnessed the violinist’s dexterity as fingers flew over strings in fast passages spanning octaves with insouciant ease. The programme ended with a bow to the violinist’s Carnatic legacy, a traditional mangalam (Tyagaraja).

Backed by Immanuel’s valuable collaboration, it was Samyuktha’s evening all the way. A descendant of vidwan Tirukkodikaval Krishna Iyer, the young artiste displayed her musical genes in ample measure, complemented by earnestness and dedication. A full house bore testimony to the success of the programme built on appreciable technique and emotive depth.