Musician’s might

Sachitra MAHENDRA

The elite Ensemble of the Chamber Music Society of Colombo (CMSC) led by Lakshman Joseph de Saram will be making a cameo appearance at the Standard Chartered Colombo Scope arts Festival. The concert will feature the exquisite music of Mozart, his Divertimento K. 522 for Strings and two horns. The Jazz great George Gershwin’s ‘Lullaby’ for Strings and Felix Mendelssohn’s stunning Symphony no. X in B minor, also for strings. The concert is on March 23 at 12:45 pm.

Lakshman Joseph de Saram Picture by Kesara Ratnavibhushana.

Q: Please explain your concert at length.

A: The first piece we will be performing is Felix Mendelssohn’s 10th String Symphony in B minor. This sparkling work pre-dates the years of the composer’s greatest achievements. It was completed in May 1823 by the ridiculously precocious 14 year old. As there is only the single movement, it is not clear if the symphony was conceived as a single or a multi-movement work.

Mendelssohn was studying with the much admired composer/teacher Carl Zelter during its composition and the pedagogue’s traditional musical tendencies are reflected in the choice of form and style; the string symphonies of Carl Phillipp Emanuel Bach, the second eldest son of Johann Sebastian, can obviously be seen as inspirational, and the slow introduction is perhaps somewhat reminiscent of Haydn. The exuberant dash that follows, however, is quintessential Mendelssohn.

The second piece is a ‘Lullaby’ by George Gershwin. Although he was an amazing writer of melody, Gershwin composed in glorious harmony best at the piano. So, it’s not surprising then, that his Lullaby written in 1919 was conceived at the keyboard. The single movement work was then later orchestrated for string quartet and became an instant classic amongst the composers inner circle.

The central theme of the piece was also used as an aria in his opera Blue Monday.

It was only in 1967 that the original string quartet version received its first public performance by the Juilliard String Quartet. It is a most charming piece of music with a faintly observed French impressionistic patina to it. The last piece on the program is the Mozart divertimento k 522.

Probably the first piece of musical satire ever published by a great composer. In this work, Mozart intentionally violates pretty much all the theoretical laws of classical composition, such as creating consecutive fifths and octaves. He also duplicates instrumental parts without any regard for texture creating an amateurish un-sophisticated accompaniment, in certain sections.

The Trio is also rhythmically imbalanced and twice in the last movement, the music goes on for 30 bars without any real developmental reasoning. Mozart is all tongue in cheek with perhaps a slightly disdainful view of his more mediocre contemporaries.

Q: Your absence at the Jaffna Music Festival was noted. Please explain.

A: Nothing controversial, I just had a bad back and was advised not to take the long journey.

Q: How do you view the conflict between popular and classical music in catering to the general audience?

A: I don’t see much conflict, popular music will always have the lion’s share of the audience no matter where you are in the world. And that’s how it should be.

Q: What is your opinion on the interfusion of western and eastern music styles?

The Chamber Music Society of Colombo (CMSC)

A: The fusing of genres of music could work in the short term, a one-off concert for example, but as a meaningful medium of sustained expression, I feel it has too many limitations. In my experience, for the combination of western and eastern classical music to work together, too much of the intrinsic values of both genres are sacrificed. And that is a shame.

Q: You have performed with Pradeep Rathnayaka? Why is it not so common among the musicians of different disciplines in Sri Lanka?

A: Pradeep and I are friends, and have been for quite awhile. I am not too sure why collaboration is not more common.

Q: Some indigenous musicians are of the opinion that folk music is the only way to promote local music. What’s your view?

A: As silly an opinion as believing some form of classical is the only way to promote Sri Lanka’s contribution to the world of sonic expression. There is no sole representative, music is as inclusive and egalitarian as it gets, I don’t pay too much attention to the talkers.

Q : How was the response to your score for the film ‘Matha’?

A: I don’t think there was a professional review of the score in particular, but generally, the most satisfying response was to the apocalyptic ending of the film, where I scored a wordless lamentation for female voice over low strings, oboe and deep drums.

The singer was a young woman from Jaffna who grew up only knowing fear and violence, all that personal anguish unconsciously seeped into her singing, giving the song a stunningly potent edge. Unforgettable experience for me.

Q: What are your upcoming projects apart from the 23rd concert?

A: We will be performing a charity concert at the ‘Dutch House’ in Galle on March 30.