Arts Writer
LOVERS of Indian classical music, and particularly the lighter form of ghazal, will be in for a treat when noted Indian violinist and composer Deepak Pandit premieres his new work Symphony of Ghazal in concert with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra on February 6 at Artscape Opera House at 8.30pm.
Symphony of Ghazal is a celebration of the music of the late ghazal legend Jagjit Singh. Pandit accompanied Singh as his violinist for 23 years, performing in more than 1000 concerts across the globe. Pandit has also scored and arranged music for Singh over the years.
The new work was conceived by Inner Circle Entertainment, who also produced Singh’s last local tour. The production has been in planning for at least two years. “The work is unique in that some of the most popular items of Jagjit Singh have been rescored for orchestra. This is a dream project and I am delighted to team up with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra to debut this work.
The concert introduces a cross-section of Jagjit’s repertoire including some of his ghazals which featured in movies, his compositions of great poets, and some semi-classical items which always received thunderous applause in our concerts across the world,” says Pandit.
Deepak will be joined on stage by a team of musicians from India performing with the orchestra. A strong Indian percussion section will ensure that the rhythmic nuances of Indian music are restored when accompanying the orchestra, whilst the bansuri will add the texture of the velvet voice of Singh, as he explored the many ragas which formed the basis of his prized compositions. Symphony of Ghazal hopes to bring together the styles of Indian and western classical music in a unique way. It will expose the audience to a tapestry woven from Indian classical, semi-classical, and ghazal as it interweaves the harmonisation of a 40-piece orchestra.
Says Louis Heyneman, CEO of the CPO, “Our mandate as an orchestra for all seasons is given deeper meaning by this collaboration which breaks new boundaries. A full classical accompaniment crossing into the music of ghazal will bring a new audience to the concert hall.”
The concert will be conducted by Brandon Phillips.
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