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Magical recital

Julian Clef's expertise on the piano was a treat for listeners and left them asking for more

PHOTO: S. MAHINSHA

TAKING A BOW Julian Clef wowed audience with his performance.

As the demure 15-year-old appeared on stage and took a bow, the audience waited with anticipated curiosity for this was child prodigy Julian Clef, who had enthralled classical music enthusiasts with his piano concert by playing famous compositions like Bach's `Toccatto,' Saint-Sean's `Danse Macabre' and the like in Europe last year.

Breaking the silence

The show broke the silence of the sultry evening with compositions by French composers like Ravel, Durrand and Saint-Sean though it was Debussy who dominated much of the concert.

Julian played Debussy's `First and Second Arabesque' that felt like a breeze on a fine morning followed by `Reflets Dans L'eau' (Reflections in the waters) and `Jardins Sous la Pluie' (Gardens in the rain) both of which he rendered with ease, the composition bearing a semblance to the mischievous laughter of a young girl.

The melancholic `Pavane,' a piano piece by Ravel that was orchestrated in 1910 recalls the Spanish Court custom of performing a solemn ceremonial dance at the time of mourning.

Here Julian's fingers drifted across the keys like a celestial being that playing the harp, transporting listeners back in time. Then came Valse in E-flat, played effortlessly and strongly reminiscent of a sunny day by a river in France.

The graceful `Swan' by Saint-Sean and the popular `Reverie,' again by Debussy made for pleasant listening though it was the unexpectedly splendid `Danse Macabre' (Dance of the Death) that had the audience tapping their feet to its tune. It is a symphonic poem, also by Saint-Sean and is based on a poem by Henri Cazal in which Death the fiddler summons skeletons from their grave at the hour of midnight to dance.

Towards the end at dawn the skeletons retreat on hearing the call of the clarion.

The second session comprised of pieces by Chopin, Beethoven and Liszt. `Sonate Pathetique' by Chopin reverberated around the hall after which the crowd received `Hungarian Rhapsody No.6' by Lizst with cheers of "Bravo" as it rose to an incredible crescendo.

As the concert drew to a close with Julain playing `Claire de Lune' by Debussy the audience gave the youngster a standing ovation as they felt certain that a musical treat as rare as this wouldn't come their way in a long time. Julian leaves for London later this week to pursue his musical talents at the prestigious Chethams School of Music in Manchester.

SAJINI V. SAHADEVAN

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