Western music has had a niche audience in the capital with limited offerings typically dominated by Western performers. As more opportunities have become available for local talent to engage in the art form, multiple choral groups have emerged and Indian singers have found their voice in genres ranging from opera to sacred works and musical theatre.
This evening’s concert offered a treat for aficionados as mezzo-soprano Pallavi Seth regaled the audience with arias and art songs. Seth’s musical prowess was evident from the moment she stepped onto the stage. Her command over her voice and the ability to emote were apparent, underscoring years of international training and experience. She effortlessly navigated a repertoire spanning various styles and
languages, showcasing her versatility as a performer. From soaring high notes to nuanced phrasing, she displayed technical proficiency as well as sensitivity to the lyrics.
Pianist Svetlana Radashkevich’s skillful accompaniment enriched the overall experience.
The first part of the programme featured arias from the late Romantic era: ‘Connais tu le pays’ from the opera Mignon by Thomas, ‘Ah! Quel Diner’ from La Perichole by Offenbach, and ‘Habanera’ from Carmen by Bizet. Seth was able to bring out the longing for ‘a land where there is eternal springtime under an ever-blue sky’ in the first aria, the drunken playfulness of the second ‘tipsy aria’ (with a wine glass prop), and the provocative rebelliousness of love in the third aria.
The second part of the programme featured 11 art songs—a genre akin to Lieder—with literary texts set to music, typically accompanied by the piano. The dreamy French song ‘Après un reve’ by Faure was followed by a playful German serenade by Brahms, a mellow ‘Offrande’ and hopeful ‘L’enamourée’ by Hahn, another dream reference in the Italian ‘Sogno’ by Tosti, followed by the flirty Neopolitan ‘A vucchella’, full of wordplay.
After Debussy’s ‘Beau soir’ validated a beautiful evening, Seth sang two songs in English based on poems from Gitanjali by Tagore, set to music by Carpenter. These were particularly special, bringing together her Indian heritage and Western training. After another song about verses having wings by Hahn, the concert concluded with yet another dream reference in the Russian ‘Son’ (CoH) by Rachmaninov. The evening ended all too soon with the audience craving more engagement with the singer, and to paraphrase Faure, with her voice ‘pure et sonore’.
~ PUNITA SINGH
