A musical tribute to Chopin, Schumann

Throughout Poland and Germany, celebrations are in full swing to mark the bicentenary of the birth of Chopin and Schumann, two of the countries' most celebrated composers. An equally fitting tribute to the composers' universality and the reach of their appeal is the CLP Joy of Music Festival this week, in which outstanding musicians from around the world share the music of the Romantic composers with an audience in Mumbai.
Pianists Jinsang Lee from South Korea, Sofya Gulyak from Russia and Pascal Roge from France, and Uruguayan classical guitarist Alvaro Pierri will celebrate the composers in their own ways in a series of concerts at the NCPA, organised by the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation.
The four-day showcase started triumphantly last night with a programme of Schumann followed by Chopin from Lee. Although his masterful performance of the Schumann demonstrated impressive range, it was in his interpretation of the Chopin that he created awe with his dexterity and his delicate but firm touch.
Tonight, the tribute to the two composers will be reversed, with a programme of Chopin followed by Schumann, played by Sofya Gulyak. Gulyak has won prizes in UK, USA, Helsinki, Denmark, South Korea, Italy and Paris for her playing. This evening her performance will include the popular Andante Spianato et Grand Polonaise Brilliante Op 22 by Chopin and ABEGG variations, Op 1 from Schumann.
On Wednesday, Pierri will move away from the bicentenary theme, although remaining utterly true to the theme of the Joy of Music. The world-renowned guitarist will play a programme of classical guitar music spanning the sixteenth to the twentieth century. "The first half will cover music from Europe while the second originates from the Americas,'' Pierri explains.
Pieces in the second half are by composers from the States, Mexico and Argentina. The evening promises a unique education into the breadth and capacity of the guitar, often thought of as only a band instrument.
Closing the festival on Thursday, Pascal Roge will celebrate Chopin in a new way by showing his impact on later French composers. He will do this through a programme which punctuates works of Debussy, Ravel and Poulenc with those of Chopin so that listeners can hear the similarities between Chopin and his successors. Although this promises to be a fascinating exploration, Roge explains that he wants the audience just to enjoy the music. "I would like to give one moment of happiness and relaxation to the audience, to take away their worries for one great moment,'' he says. "Although the audience will notice influences, I don't want the concert to be a musicology lesson.''
The Joy of Music Festival,
October 18-21, 7 pm, NCPA