Eshantha Peiris’ night of triumph
Eventually the dark clouds on our horizon is clearing away throwing
light on our classical music scene. Gone are the days when a conductor
wielded the baton so powerfully and passionately as did Eshantha Peiris
last week at the Ladies College Auditorium to a packed audience when he
conducted the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka’s Young Soloists’ concert.
Dispelling the myth that we lack conductors, pianist Eshantha rose to
the occasion with a bang when he took on Beethoven, Mozart and Haydn to
create an evening of sheer delight with the Masters. As though
electrified with spasm of feeling and passion running through his
muscles, Eshantha held the rapt attention of every member of the SOSL of
the evening. In fact, he addressed each and everyone individually with
gusto making the musicians feel the part they were playing while going
soft and gentle on the violin played by Mandhira de Sarem who was the
soloist for the evening.
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Eshantha Peiris, conductor of the
Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka |
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Mandhira de
Sarem played Mozart at the Young Soloists’ concert |
With near world-class playing, Mandhira was both astonishing and
superlative. She made a long voyage through the scores of Mozart’s
Violin Concerto No. 5 in a major. K219 ‘Turkish’ with sharpened
techniques all on her signature in blooming lyricism and emotional
outpouring. Lost in her own world of violin, she invited the audience to
the upper levels of classicism of appreciation.
We are to hear more successful bouncy violinist of the future,
trekking into the paths of musical glory. For the moment Mandhira needs
more space for her to develop her art in the world of classical music
with the Masters who have intrigued and innovated her talent. Mandhira
is a blossom of Sri Lanka in talented race whose doors are slowly but
surely open out to the outside world.
About Mandhira de Sarem
Niece to the internationally renowned cellist Rohan de Sarem and
daughter of virtuoso pianist Druvi de Sarem Mandhira has sprouted out of
a family of talented musicians with mother, Sharmini, being an
accomplished flautist. So it was like a duck taking to the water when
Mandhira decided to choose the violin to make her international debut in
the future. Leading several chamber groups and orchestras at the
University of Oxford as a freelance violinist, she graduated with first
class honours. Occasionally, she appears as a soloist, chamber musician
and orchestral violinist around UK.
About Eshantha Peiris
He needs no introduction to the classical music scene, his forte is
the piano and is one of the leading pianists in our country blessed with
spectacular playing. He often accompanies a violinist, outshining the
violinist most of the time. He glides over the keyboard with the ease of
a slithering snake upon water. But we also see Eshantha as an
outstanding conductor. He is one of the four conductors of the Symphony
Orchestra of Sri Lanka. His orchestral colours are warm and luminous, a
hazy impressionist. The ravishing music he produces from his talented
musicians under his baton, makes one think of him as a great conductor
of the future if he decides to maintain the same tempo.
Young Soloist’s concert opened with van Beethoven’s OP.62 followed by
Mozart’s No. 5 in A major and closed with Haydn’s Symphony No. 94.
Together with Mandhira Eshantha ‘liven’ the composers with refine taste
and exquisite scores.
Beethoven (1807) composed for a production, written my German writer
Heinrich von Collin and not for Shakespeare’s Coriolanus, contrary to
the belief, Coriolan Op.62 is a remarkably lively score and drives the
composer’s purpose into sub-minds.
Mozart (1775) Concerto for violin No. 4 in D K218 and Concerto No 5
in A ‘Turkish’, K219, both were composed in quick succession by Mozart
on impulse and tonight Mandhira chose to play ‘Turkish’ (1) Allegro
aperto-Adagio-Allegro aperto (2), Adagio and (3) Rondo-Tempo di
Menuetto. Mandhira received a standing ovation for her brilliant
playing.
Haydn was the favourite for the evening by the reaction of the
audience to Eshantha’s magnificent handling of the baton. Some of the
scores which I studied years ago, took me back on memory lane sometimes
getting lashed by the music teacher. A great favourite of the young,
Haydn’s Symphony No. 94 in G major ‘Surprise’ did surprise all the music
lovers present tonight with
(1) Adagio-Vivace assai
(2) Andante
(3) Menuetto – Allegro molto
(4) Finale – Allegro molto
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