Tag: Edinburgh

North Indian Classical Music: for Sarod and Tabla

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Listen with Liv! This is where I share what I have been listening to recently.

I feel very fortunate when I am able to go to live performances of Indian classical music, here in the UK. Such a privilege then, to hear sarod virtuoso Debasmita Bhattacharya performing with tabla maestro Shahbaz Hussain at St Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh, recently. Performing without amplification, the sounds of the sarod and tabla sang clearly in the resonant acoustic of this magnificent stone building.

From Debasmita’s exquisite opening solos to Shahbaz’s melodic and virtuoso tabla playing, the pair complemented one another with their superb musical skills, synchronicity and balanced interplay.

Here’s a clip of Debasmita playing a slow improvised introduction (alap) which gradually introduces the melodic shape and mood of the rag. Then, a more rhythmic section (jor) increasing in speed and virtuosity. The rag here is Bhimpalasi – a pentatonic rag for early afternoon.

Film of Debasmita Bhattacharya performing with Shahbaz Hussain is also available by subscribing to Darbar You Tube channel.

https://www.darbar.org/#

https://debasmitasarode.com

https://www.shahbazhussaintabla.com

If you are in London this month, the Darbar Festival of Indian Classical Arts is on from 22 – 29 October 2023 at the Barbican – an immersive and exciting event if you are interested in Indian classical music and culture.

https://www.darbar.org/festival/darbar-festival-2023

Edinburgh Fringe 2023: Bach’s Cello Suites performed by Anne-Isabel Meyer

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Anne-Isabel Meyer’s Bach is still playing in my head, days after her performance of the six suites for solo cello last week. On her annual visit to the Edinburgh Fringe, she performed the complete suites on three consecutive days in the beautiful setting of St Cuthbert’s Parish Church. On the fourth day, she performed the prelude and gigue from each suite, giving the audience a taste of the entire work. 

Meyer went to the heart of each suite, conveying its character, exuberant or sombre, contemplative or joyful. The pairing of the C major with C minor (3 and 5) and D minor with D major (2 and 6) leaving G major and E flat major (1 and 4) for the opener, gave us a great contrast of mood in each concert.

This is the first chance I have had to hear Anne-Isabel Meyer since 2019 and her rich tone seemed even warmer than I remember. It was hard not to well up at the raw beauty of her Sarabande from Suite no. 5. The undulating phrases with open string pedal notes in the first and third preludes built momentum each time her bow touched the open strings and in each movement, she allowed the melodies to sing out freely whilst the underlying harmonies resonated throughout the church.

For me, the beauty of Anne-Isabel’s playing is that the music makes complete sense. Is it because the rise and fall of her phrasing and subtle dynamic contrast sound so natural or because she understands the structure of the whole and never loses sight of it? Whatever it is, I felt uplifted by her lively rhythmic dance movements and at other times felt profoundly moved.

Hearing this music live is good for the soul, it is life affirming and Anne-Isabel Meyer’s performances filled me with optimism, as I stepped out into the bright daylight of the bustling city.

To play the complete Bach cello suites is physically and mentally demanding. Speaking to her afterwards she explained how for her, it comes from the core: the centre of the body. She explained how her Pilates practice enables her to focus on the music rather than the fingers. 

Her gigue from Suite no. 6, full of energy, is playing in my mind right now so although I am inspired to find my core* and resume my own journey with the suites, I’m still enjoying the gorgeous rich sonorities she created. 

*Note to self: look up Pilates classes!

Edinburgh’s Music Across Borders

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One thing I didn’t expect when I came to live in Edinburgh in 1999, was that I would start learning music from the other side of the world which would some years later lead to a Masters in ethnomusicology. Yet soon after I moved in, I saw a notice in a local shop about an African drumming and dance class. I thought it sounded fun, went along and so began a metaphorical journey, letting music and dance take me around the globe. Since then I have joined in Brazilian samba drumming and dance, Indian sitar and tabla classes, a Chinese orchestra, a Kunqu class and an Indonesian gamelan – a small sample of the music and dance happening here in Scotland.

Last year, many of these diverse groups took part in a series of concerts in Edinburgh’s St Cecilia’s Hall. The series ‘Music Across Borders’ was devised and organised by Alec Cooper and Chen Qinhan with the aim of bringing together music-making from different countries, enabling musicians and audiences to meet and exchange ideas. There was music from Morocco, India, China, Spain, Japan, Brazil, West Africa, the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean. The fourth concert was planned to feature collaborations between musicians from each of the groups but unfortunately it had to be cancelled because of Covid-19. Instead there was an informal gathering of musicians outdoors playing together some of the music they had been preparing before lockdown.

To find out about this project which will resume once it is safe to rehearse together, have a look at the website:

https://www.musicacrossborders.uk

and the following short documentary filmed by Adam Howells.