It’s an hour past mid-noon, and the air outside hot and dry, just like June air in Delhi is meant to be. So when I step inside The Imperial’s 1911 Brassiere, a moment’s disorientation is justified. The lavish lunch buffet, the almost chilly, fragrant air, the lush seats your can sink into and the hushed whispers of the guests; it’s too comfortable, and considering it’s summer, I am used to a perpetual state of discomfort.
I am having lunch with Hungarian pianist Balázs Fülei, who has fast become one of the most accomplished names internationally. Fülei was awarded the Junior Prima Prize in 2010, the most prestigious award in Hungary for young musicians, and now travels the world for solo piano concerts. In 2011, he won the Artisjus-prize and in 2012 The Solti Foundation. Fülei has also been teaching as an assistant professor at the Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest, since 2012. An extensive repertoire that includes Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn and countless other masters, Fülei’s carved a space for himself that’s indisputably big.
But even the greats must eat, and we move to the buffet spread to pick our appetizers, taking in the extensive selection of cold cuts, sushi and salad. When we return to the table, I notice that Fülei has opted for a vegetarian first course. “I love trying vegetarian food in India. Back home, we don’t have so many vegetarian choices on the menu. Here, I get to experiment. There are so many options!” This isn’t Fülei’s first trip to India, but his fourth. On an Indian tour which includes Delhi, Mumbai and Pune, Fülei is in the Capital to play at The Piano Club at The Imperial, in association with the Hungarian Information and Cultural Centre. In the evening, the space we sit in right now will transform, the cover will be lifted from the Steinway piano in the corner of the room, and 1911 Brassiere will become “Nostalgia”, filled with an audience waiting to be swept away with the music.
Fülei remembers the previous experience of playing in India. “In Mumbai and Pune, the audience is exactly as it is anywhere else in the world. In Delhi, sometimes people are distracted, getting up to take phone calls, whispering or just restless.” He has also played in two boarding schools in Dehradun, and was especially impressed by the intelligent questions from the students at The Doon School.
The pianist is young himself, and speaks of his journey so far with a kind of infectious enthusiasm. “I knew, very early on, that music was something I could not live without.” He remembers having other interests, but finally finding his true calling at the piano. “My parents were very supportive. They didn't say, look this is a risky profession, why don't you become a lawyer.”
And so, Fülei carried on, practising and learning till his talent was honed to perfection. “I don’t think talent is enough. You have to put in the hard work, take the risk and be single-minded. Without those things, it’s not talent, it’s...ability.” Fülei remembers his time in high school and college. “I was one of the only 18 19-year-old who was on such a strict routine. There was so much I couldn’t do because I had to take care of my body, in order to perform my best.” Almost as if to illustrate this, Fülei excuses himself for a minute to pick up a sweater from his room. On his return, he apologises again, adding, “It’s a bit chilly here and I cannot afford to fall ill now.” Our main course menu has also appeared, and we pick our dishes. Once again, Fülei opts for a vegetarian thaali , complete with his favourite “daal” and “paneer”. “I also love the naan. I can eat endless number of garlic naans.”
Our food arrives and Fülei is full of praise for it. “The food is great in India!”, he exclaims, digging into the kaali daal with relish. My own portion of river sole with lemon and butter dressing is just right, the tang melding beautifully with the softness of the fish.
Fülei enjoys his food, and says that he chooses to always eat the authentic cuisine of the place he is travelling to. “I barely get a chance to cook, but sometimes, when I do, I like to experiment with different, new dishes.”
In life, too, Fülei has been open to experiments. While he had never actively sought to teach, it had been there as part of a long term plan. “In college, people would ask me to help them out with playing, and they would always tell me that I had a knack for it.” When opportunity presented itself, Fülei decided to take it up, and now, he teaches at the Liszt Academy and loves his job. “You can tell immediately if someone has talent. The talented ones, they have their own imagination of how to play a piece, and I try to make sure that while I teach them the technical aspects, I don’t impose my own imagination and interpretation on them.”
Speaking about his personal favourites, Fülei laughs as he names Beethoven, Bach, Liszt, Brahms and then stops. “It’s too long a list, I am afraid I will forget names.” Instead, Fülei talks about how today, the way music is written is changing.
“Music is more scientific now. In the past, the emotion and technicalities had equal importance.”
We move to find dessert, and once again, Fülei opts for a mango tart. “We don't get mangoes back home. This is a very exotic taste!”
The meal has been better than good, and the conversation wonderful, but now it’s time for Fülei to rest before one last practice, and then a great concert.
