Classical guitarist Carlo Fierens bridged two distinct sonic worlds, as he presented signature scores of the 19th century Italian violin virtuoso and composer Niccolò Paganini at a tribute concert in the city last week.
The audience gathered at the courtyard of the “Gratitude” heritage property in the city’s French Quarter, was kept riveted through the evening as Carlo Fierens essayed concerto movements of sonatas and capriccios from Paganini’s repertoire on the classical guitar — a masterful play alternating between lively passages, complex nuances, frenetic runs and melancholic segments, before moving inexorably to the coda at the conclusion of each piece.
The Paganini tribute concert was hosted by Open Space, an art and culture collective in the city, under the auspices of the Italian Consulate in Bengaluru and the Institute of Italian Culture, Mumbai.
Fierens’s instrumental suite for the evening included one of the legendary composer’s most famous solo violin compositions, the “Caprice No. 24”, the final piece in a set of Capriccios, the “Carnival of Venice”, an original Neapolitan folk tune that Paganini layered with several variations for violin (the guitar version composed by Francisco Tarrega, a legendary modern classical guitarist from the Romantic era) and the “Grand Sonata for the Guitar”, a complex sonata that Paganini wrote for the guitar.
The concert also had guitar expositions of a Paganini-inspired capriccio by Romantic era Italian guitarist Giulio Regondi and “Red Fantasy”, a guitar piece by Kevin Callahan somewhat of an ode to red wine and more modern-sounding, which, Carlos Fierens felt, “shares some of the features of the pieces presented for the evening”.
“The music of Paganini symbolises the Italian musical idea and at the same time is universal and romantic melodies and extreme virtuosity that can be compelling and resonate with different cultures,” said Carlo Fierens.
At the height of his popularity, the impossibly gifted Paganini, who revolutionised the approach to violin harmonics and whose ground-breaking techniques were ahead of the sensibilities of the post-Baroque Romantic era in 19th century Europe, was even believed by many to have cut a deal with the devil trading his soul in exchange for greatness.
To have the classical guitar role-playing the violin in a Paganini tribute is more in tune, than odd fit, with the multi-instrumental versatility of the genius composer, who was adept in the mandolin as a child, the viola and the guitar, an instrument that became a “constant companion” during his concert tours.
However, as much as one feels inspired to transcribe violin pieces to a guitar arrangement, the choice of the right sonata is critical, said Carlo Fierens.
“As guitarists, we like to play these violin classical material. But, it is a complicated process... as the guitar and violin are very different instruments, you need the right piece of music to do that. Sometimes, they work very well, other times they don’t”, said Fierens.
The Caprice No. 24 was a “happy case” as both in the guitar and the violin, the process is the same — about experimenting with the different possibilities of the instrument, he adds.
On exposure to the music of influential Indian composers, Fieren points to Ravi Shankar, who is “one of the first and most recognised figures for classical, and even, pop artists, in the West”, and Zubin Mehta, orchestra conductor, “who is one of the most respected legends in Europe”.
Fieren, who performed at Mumbai and Pune, is rounding off his India visit with a concert and workshop for students in Bengaluru.
Alfonso Tagliaferri, Italian Consul General in Bengaluru, said the Paganini tribute marked the beginning of an effort to bring several more events to Puducherry.
“This is our first cultural show in this city since we opened a new Consulate General office in Bengaluru,” he said. The Consulate plans to deepen engagements across business, trade, University exchanges and culture in its jurisdiction that covers Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and the Union Territory of Puducherry (Kerala remains under Consul General in Mumbai), Mr. Tagliaferri said.
