MERCK PHILHARMONIC CHAMBER ORCHESTRA DARMSTADT

Western Classical Music in Chennai never had it better. If a while ago we had a Brahms symphony being performed in the city, this time it was the first of the "great nine" from Beethoven, that took the spotlight.

Conducted by Christon Rudolf Riedel, the Merck Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra Darmstadt's concert at the TTK Auditorium, Music Academy, began with the spirited performance of Mozart's Marriage of Figaro Overture.

The second piece in the programme was Alfred Schnittke's musical commentary on themes from Mozart and Haydn. While, in itself, the composition did have its own appeal, it seemed to suffer an unfair comparison to the other compositions in the programme; compositions by the most revered names in Music - Beethoven and Mozart. It was to the Orchestra's credit that this piece, in a very contemporary idiom, came off without blemish.

The next item on the programme was Mozart's Concerto for Flute and Orchestra in G major K 313, with Henrik Wiese as soloist. Taken in brisk time, this elegant rendition showed the Orchestra playing to its strengths.

The second half of the programme was devoted to Beethoven's Symphony No. 1 in C major Opus 21. Despite the symphony's adherence to the classical style, as made famous by Haydn and Mozart, the irrepressible innovations of Beethoven's later works find their early stirrings in this piece.

The Orchestra signed off the evening with the a rousing rendition of that all-time favourite - Brahms' Hungarian Dance No. 5.

The Merck Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra Darmstadt was established in 1996, as the in-house Orchestra of pharmaceutical major - E Merck. While the company continues to be its main sponsor, the Orchestra has won for itself international renown with performances in most European countries. Conductor Christon Rudolf Riedel brought intensity to the evening's renditions, without the usual Conductor-malady of extravagance in gestures.

A truly delightful evening.

TRIBUTE TO BACH

This was not one of those syrupy offerings of immediately appealing music from the popular classical repertoire. No tantalizing dynamic shifts from the romantic era, no exciting dissonances of the modern era. This was Baroque music at its summit. This was the performance of Johann Sebastian Bach's Preludes and Fugues from The Well-Tempered Clavier - a work that is as demanding on the listeners, as it is on the pianist.

As part of the commemoration of the German Composer's 250th death anniversary, Max Mueller Bhavan presented a Piano Solo Concert featuring virtuoso pianist Heidrun Holtmann (on 2nd September, Music Academy).

Playing the 24 Preludes and Fugues in the second book of The Well-Tempered Clavier, Holtmann's performance combined precision with what was clearly, a thorough understanding of the work. This is believed to be the first ever performance of the work in the country. In the audience was renowned Journalist N Ram and ace Guitarist Prasanna.

But if Bach intended this as a solo work, the city's audience had something else in mind - squeaking chairs, unrestrained coughing and the unforgivable applause between the Preludes and Fugues seemed part of the performance.

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