Intercontinental rhapsody

Lovers of western classical music, walk this way. Karl Lutchmayer, the British-Goan pianist and music professor at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance is in town for a recital and he wants you to come and talk to him after the show. “Don’t just come to a concert and leave when it’s done - speak to the artist! Only then will you understand the ‘when’ and ‘why’ of the music you just experienced. It’s like a peek into our world,” says the 48-year-old, who was named a Steinway artist in 2012. This is important to him – Karl’s the man behind the ‘conversational concert’, a lecture-recital series that unites the musician and the professor! As the name implies, these concerts attempt to bridge the gap between the musician and the untrained listener, to help the latter understand how music is a language, not a random series of sounds. Karl is in Bengaluru this week for the maiden Aruna Sunderlal Memorial Concert Series followed by a workshop.

An old friend of Ms Sunderlal, founder of the iconic Bangalore School of Music, the Steinway pianist firmly believes that “music isn’t scared, it is just...music”; something we need for our survival. It is above churches, international borders and communities. “I knew her for about four years and she always struck me as someone who went out of her way to make music accessible to those who couldn’t afford it,” he says, with a hint of nostalgia. “In a country that lacks a good music conservatory, when I heard about the recital, I felt it was the least we could do,” he observed. The series aims to raise funds for the BSM to continue Ms Sunderlal’s vision.   

Haven’t been to a recital before? Fret not! “We’ll prepare you for what is to come, in a good way, of course!” he laughs. “I always talk to the audience - Introduce the piece and set the tone for the evening.” Karl will be performing the classics of Beethoven, Bartok, Liszt and Ravel. He will be joined by violinist Andrew Sherwood, who is a musician and principal conductor for European Youth Summer Music. “The important thing is to come with an open mind. Come and connect with the charisma and the electricity in the air. But don’t be scared to ask questions about what you hear,” he says, the professor in him taking charge for a moment.

Accessing music online is easy enough to do, although little else compares with a live performance, as any musician worth his salt is likely to tell you! “I know you can YouTube it, but there is something about being present in front of someone while they are making music. It is connecting with a community together; evoking the same emotions one experiences in New York, Bengaluru or in Madrid! I like to call it the magic in the air,” he smiles.

What: Recital by Karl Lutchmayer, joined by violinist Andrew Sherwood
When:  Friday, 2 June 2017 7pm onwards
Where: Alliance Francaise, Vasanth nagar