The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Transylvanian music casts its spell

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 20, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Transylvanian music casts its spell

Special Correspondent

For the first time Chennai plays host to Hungarian folk musicians

CHENNAI: That music crosses every kind of barrier was brought home to the Chennai audience once again on Sunday evening with the soul-transcending music of the five-member Hungarian State Folk Ensemble.

The `In Memoriam' concert, a musical tribute to Hungarian composer and musicologist, Bela Bartok, brought to the city a rare combination of Hungarian and Transylvanian peasant music, to the accompaniment of traditional village instruments such as the bagpipes.

It was no surprise then that the five member team — vocalist Agnes Herczku, violinist Istvan Pal, folk musician Attila Gera, viola player Gyula Karacs and contrabass player Robert Door — received standing ovation after the completion of an hour-long intricately balanced ensemble performance. This is the first time the city is playing host to Hungarian folk musicians, thanks to the Hungarian Information and Cultural Centre, New Delhi, the Honorary Consul of Hungary in Chennai and the Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation.

`Rare opportunity'

Earlier, inaugurating the concert, veteran vocalist M. Balamuralikrishna said the performance presented a rare opportunity to understand and compare the beauty of Hungarian music and find resonance with Indian musical compositions.

Week-long festival

The concert was organised as part of a week-long Hungarian fest which aimed to showcase the best of Hungary to an Indian audience, Imre Lazar, director, cultural counsellor, Hungarian Information and Cultural Centre, New Delhi said.

The Hungarian State Folk Ensemble was the most prestigious of its kind, he added.

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